What GS Retail does

GS Retail Co., Ltd. is a South Korea-based multi-format retail holding company and core subsidiary of the GS Group conglomerate, founded in 1971 and publicly listed on the Korea Stock Exchange (KOSPI). The company operates one of Korea's largest consumer retail platforms through a portfolio of brands anchored by GS25, the country's #1 convenience store chain with over 10,000 domestic stores, 400+ stores in Vietnam, and 100+ in Mongolia. Adjacent formats include GS THE FRESH (neighborhood supermarkets with fresh produce and one-hour delivery), GS SHOP (TV and online home shopping), and specialty verticals such as About Pet (pet retail) and Mealbox25 (meal delivery). Distribution is executed primarily through a franchise model, with franchise investment starting at approximately 2.27 billion KRW per store, while GS THE FRESH combines direct operation and franchise, and GS SHOP operates via broadcast and e-commerce.

The platform's underlying technology stack includes integrated POS and inventory management (S/T system), store operations applications (G-Tube, GetSmart training), the GS Pay unified payment layer, Popcard prepaid cards, and the GS ALL membership app launched in January 2025 that consolidates points, payments, and promotions across GS25, GS SHOP, and GS THE FRESH. AI capabilities are deployed across computer vision (AI Smart Store, launched November 2023), natural language processing (Chatbot Joy on KakaoTalk), predictive analytics for demand forecasting and order optimization (developed with PitchAI), and autonomous delivery robots. Distribution leverages quick-commerce partnerships with Coupang Eats (over 1,200 Seoul GS25 stores activated) and Baedal Minjok/Baemin, with private-brand differentiation through YOUUS and proprietary fresh-food manufacturing processes (e.g., shutter-style Soft Samgak Gimbap that reduces rice compression by 30%).

GS Retail generates revenue primarily through franchise fees and wholesale product sales to franchisees (transaction-based across GS25 and GS THE FRESH), direct retail and home shopping sales, quick-commerce order fees via delivery platforms, and recurring/transactional revenue from GS Pay and Popcard financial services. M&A history includes the 2021 consortium-led 800 billion won acquisition of delivery app Yogiyo from Delivery Hero, the 2022 acquisition of food-tech startup Cookat for 55 billion won, and ongoing strategic investments in retail-AI startups (Cafe Whale, $1.6 million in February 2026). Customer segments are heavily weighted toward mass-market individual consumers (daily food, beverages, fresh meals, household essentials), supplemented by enterprise relationships with delivery platforms and event/IP partners such as Netflix, SKT T Membership, LG U+ Membership, and virtual idol group PLAVE.

Name

GS Retail

Legal name

GS Retail Co., Ltd.

Website

https://gsretail.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

GS Retail Co., Ltd. is a South Korean multi-format retail holding company operating GS25 (the country's largest convenience store chain with 10,000+ domestic stores and 400+ in Vietnam), GS THE FRESH supermarkets, GS SHOP home shopping, and the GS ALL unified membership and payments platform, serving mass-market consumers, franchisees, and quick-commerce partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convenience Store Retail

NAICS

Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451)

SIC

Retail-Convenience Stores (5412)

akta.pro primary industry

Discount Drugstores with Convenience Food & Beverage (Value C-Store Hybrid) (CRAEAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Discount Drugstores with Front-End General Merchandise (Value GM) (CRAEAHAI)

Keywords

• Convenience store retail
• Home shopping
• Supermarket grocery
• Private brand products
• Quick commerce delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. GS25 Convenience Store Franchise Revenue: GS Retail generates revenue from franchise fees, product sales to franchisees, and shared profitability from GS25 convenience store operations across South Korea and international markets.
2. GS THE FRESH Supermarket Sales: Revenue from direct operation and franchise of GS THE FRESH neighborhood supermarkets, offering fresh produce, PB products, and delivery/pickup services.
3. GS SHOP Home Shopping Revenue: Revenue from TV and online home shopping operations through GS Shop, including product sales and commissions.
4. Delivery and Quick Commerce Services: Revenue from delivery partnerships (Baemin, Coupang Eats) and quick commerce operations through GS25 stores, generating order-based transaction fees.
5. GS ALL Membership and PopCard Services: Revenue from PopCard prepaid card services and GS ALL membership program, including transaction fees and financial services.
6. Open Innovation Investment Returns: Strategic investment in AI retail startups like Cafe Whale, generating returns through technology integration and equity participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

GS Retail operates a multi-format retail platform in South Korea anchored by GS25, the country's largest convenience store chain with 1,100+ stores, supplemented by GS THE FRESH neighborhood supermarkets, GS SHOP TV/online home shopping, and supporting services including GS Pay mobile payments, Popcard prepaid cards, About Pet retail, and WooDel/우리동네GS local delivery. The company sells private brand products under YOUUS, fresh prepared meals, daily necessities, and financial services through its stores, franchise network, and quick-commerce partnerships with Coupang Eats and Baemin.

Product overview

GS Retail operates a multi-format retail platform consisting of GS25 (convenience store chain with AI-powered smart stores), GS THE FRESH (neighborhood supermarket with delivery), GS SHOP (home shopping), and specialized services including GS Pay (payment), Popcard (prepaid cards), About Pet (pet retail), WooDel (local delivery), and Mealbox25 (meal delivery). The portfolio includes private brand products under YOUUS at GS25 and PB products at GS THE FRESH, unified by the GS ALL membership system launched in 2025. GS Retail also leverages AI technologies including computer vision in AI Smart Stores, voice AI chatbots, autonomous delivery robots, and predictive analytics for order optimization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GS25: Convenience store chain operated by GS Retail, the leading convenience store brand in South Korea with over 10,000 domestic stores and international presence in Vietnam, Mongolia, and Thailand.
• GS THE FRESH
• GS SHOP
• GS Pay
• GS ALL
• Youus (유어스)
• Wooldeol Delivery (우리동네GS)
• Cafe25
• Chicken25
• Popcard
• Go Pizza

Products and services

• GS25 Convenience Store Flagship convenience store brand of GS Retail with 1,100+ stores across South Korea and 500+ international stores in Vietnam, Mongolia, and Thailand. Offers differentiated YOUUS private brand products, fresh prepared meals, daily necessities, bill payment, package pickup, and delivery services.
• GS THE FRESH Supermarket Neighborhood supermarket format offering fresh produce, meat, food essentials, PB products, and same-day delivery and pickup within one hour via the 우리동네GS / Wooldeol Delivery service.
• GS SHOP Home Shopping TV and online home shopping platform featuring broadcast home shopping programs, e-commerce capabilities, and a viewer committee providing oversight and monthly reports.
• GS Pay Integrated mobile payment solution enabling single registration for QR-based payments across all GS Retail brands (GS25, GS THE FRESH, GS SHOP), supporting credit cards and mobile payment methods.
• Popcard Prepaid Card Prepaid card service combining membership benefits with payment methods including transportation card functions, available at GS25 and GS THE FRESH in physical and mobile formats.
• About Pet (어바웃펫) Pet care retail brand operated by GS Retail, offering pet products and services.
• Wooldeol Delivery (우리동네 딜리버리) Local delivery service enabling quick delivery and pickup from GS25 and GS THE FRESH stores, integrated into the unified 우리동네GS O2O app for ordering, payment, and GS Pay QR payments.
• YOUUS Private Brand GS25's proprietary private brand offering differentiated products with high quality and affordable pricing, including fresh food, beverages, snacks, bread, processed foods, and daily necessities.
• Mealbox25 (밀박스25) Meal box delivery service specializing in prepared meals and lunch boxes for delivery through the GS25 platform.
• GS ALL Membership Integrated membership program spanning GS25, GS SHOP, and GS THE FRESH, providing unified points (0.1% base earn rate), GS Pay payment integration, and tiered card-linked rewards including GS ALL Shinhan Card (up to 12% at GS25).

Quantifiable outcome

• GS25 Q1 2026 sales reached 2.8549 trillion won, up 3.8% year-on-year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) / Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026GS Retail participated in the 2026 Tourism Open Innovation Program alongside CJ ENM, Kakao Mobility, and Shinhan Financial Group, working on hyper-personalized travel solutions and AI smart tourism projects.
• Baedal Minjok (Baemin)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 February 2026GS25 developed single-serving pizza products in partnership with Baemin specifically for quick commerce platforms. Approximately 40% of GS25's ready-made pizza sales already come from delivery/pickup services.
• Baedal Minjok (Baemin)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 January 2026Major quick commerce delivery partnership driving 70-104% year-on-year sales increases from delivery and pickup orders at major convenience store chains including GS25.
• Coupang EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 August 2025GS25 and GS The Fresh partnered with Coupang Eats to launch quick commerce delivery services across Korea using over 1,200 GS25 stores in Seoul, offering around 20,000 products, with national expansion planned.
• CoupangcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2025GS25 partnered with Coupang Eats to launch quick commerce delivery services, leveraging GS25's store network for rapid delivery.
• SKT T MembershipminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2025GS25 entered T Membership partnership with SKT in July 2025, offering Tuesday discounts on FF products (rice balls, hamburgers, etc.) for T Membership cardholders.
• Google PlayminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025GS25 signed partnership with Google Play in March 2025 as part of international digital engagement strategy.
• LG U+ MembershipminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2025LG U+ Membership discount program at GS25 offering 100 KRW or 50 KRW off per 1,000 KRW spent, with additional discounts at GS THE FRESH.
• NetflixminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2023GS25 entered a business partnership with Netflix in May 2023 for content and promotional collaboration.
• Cookat Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2022GS Retail acquired a majority stake in food tech startup Cookat for 55 billion won (approximately $46 million), expanding its presence in the food tech and e-commerce space.
• Yogiyo (Delivery Hero)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2021A consortium led by GS Retail acquired Yogiyo, South Korea's second-largest online food delivery app, from Germany's Delivery Hero for 800 billion won (100% stake). GS Retail aimed to leverage synergies between its retail outlets and Yogiyo's delivery platform.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BGF Retail (CU): Operates the CU convenience store chain, Korea's #2 convenience store brand with thousands of outlets. Directly competes head-to-head with GS25 for footprint, same customers, and similar franchise economics.
• Korea Seven (7-Eleven Korea): Master franchisee of 7-Eleven in South Korea, operated within the Lotte Group. Directly competes with GS25 across store footprint, PB offerings, and quick commerce partnerships.
• Emart24 (Shinsegae): Convenience store chain owned by Shinsegae Group; one of Korea's top four convenience store chains competing for the same franchisees and consumers as GS25.
• FamilyMart Korea (SPC Group): Korea franchisee of FamilyMart convenience stores, operated by SPC Group. Directly competes with GS25 in urban convenience store retail though with smaller footprint.
• Lotte Home Shopping: Korean TV and online home shopping operator under Lotte Group. Directly comparable to GS SHOP in product categories, broadcast home shopping model, and customer base.
• CJ ENM (CJ OnStyle): CJ Group's TV/online home shopping and content commerce platform. Directly competes with GS SHOP in home shopping and live commerce, serving the same Korean consumer base.

Broad incumbents

• E-Mart (Shinsegae): Korea's largest hypermarket/supermarket chain and parent of Emart24. Comparable to GS Retail via its GS THE FRESH supermarket banner and broader offline grocery presence.
• Lotte Mart: Major Korean hypermarket operator within the Lotte Group; overlaps with GS THE FRESH in supermarket/grocery retail and with Korea Seven in convenience. Comparable as a broad multi-format grocery incumbent.
• Homeplus (Samsun): Korean hypermarket chain owned by MBK Partners/Samsun; competes with GS THE FRESH in offline grocery and is expanding into online delivery. Comparable as a broad grocery incumbent.

Emerging players

• Coupang Eats: Quick commerce/food delivery arm of Coupang, partnered with GS Retail to leverage 1,200+ Seoul GS25 stores for delivery. Both a channel partner and a structural competitor shaping the Korean q-commerce landscape.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCl0HemfAt7dShJRf59_cuGQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/funGS25
• Instagraminstagram.com/gs25_official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments26 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GS Retail