Leading convenience stores South Korea 2023, by store number

Based on the number of stores, CU was the leading convenience store in South Korea in 2023, with a total of around 17,762 stores. It was closely followed by another major convenience store brand, GS25. 

GS25

GS25 is a chain owned and operated by GS Retail Co, a subsidiary of GS Group. When the chain started in 1990, it was still part of the LG Group, but parted in 2005. According to a survey in July 2020, GS25 was the most preferred convenience store chain brand for more than one in three surveyed South Koreans.

Convenience stores in South Korea

As of 2023, convenience stores in South Korea had a sales revenue of around 31 trillion South Korean won. According to industry estimates, more than half of those sales are made with food sales. With an increasing number of single-person households and various products in stores, the sales of convenience stores have grown in recent years. After the department store, the convenience store became the second largest offline channel in South Korea.