BGF Retail, the operator of CU convenience stores, will begin a mobile convenience store program targeting “food desert” areas, working in partnership with the Korea Labor Force Development Institute for the Aged and the Korea Real Estate Board.

Food deserts refer to regions such as remote mountain villages and isolated islands where local grocery and retail shops have disappeared, making it difficult for residents to access basic food supplies.

The project will be based around CU’s senior-run convenience store model, “CU I-eum Store,” where older employees participate in day-to-day store operations to earn stable income.

Five CU I-eum Stores are currently operating nationwide, following a business agreement signed in April last year to expand senior job opportunities.

BGF Retail plans to use CU Gongju Singwan-ro Store as a hub, dispatching a mobile convenience store to food desert areas in Gongju at least once a month. The service may also be used at local festivals and community events.

Funding from the Korea Real Estate Board will be used to support the program, while BGF Retail will provide customized product planning and operational consulting to ensure stable service delivery.