Dive Brief:
- South Korean convenience store giant CU plans to open its first locations in the U.S. later this year, the company announced last week.
- The stores, which range in size from 700 to 2,500 square feet, will be located in urban Honolulu, with the flagship store located at the city’s Executive Centre. It’s unclear how many stores are in the pipeline, but the first ones are expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2025.
- If its locations are a hit in Hawai’i, CU could become the next competitive threat in a state that lacks a dominant c-store player.
Dive Insight:
Hawai’i isn’t bereft of convenience chains, but there’s no single retailer that controls the state’s c-store market. Notable operators include 7-Eleven Hawai’i, ABC Stores and Sunoco-owned Aloha Petroleum, which all have about 60 to 70 c-stores in the state.
CU, which operates over 18,000 c-stores in South Korea and another 680 across Southeast and Central Asia, might have the operational backbone to take over the Hawai’i c-store market. The company is owned by Seoul-based BGF Retail, which says it’s tapping into the rising popularity of Korean culture in the U.S. with its move to the states.
"Due to the high cost of living in Hawai’i, local people deserve affordable, convenient, quality options for everyday life," said Robert Kurisu, CEO of CU Hawai’i, "We look forward to introducing CU, a fresh and modern Korean convenience store, to the Hawai’i market."
Food is the focus at CU’s stores. Locations feature hot meals and grab-and-go options, such as gimbap rice rolls and poke bowls, as well as musubi, bento and sandwich options. Stores also include instant ramen cooking stations and machines to create customizable drinks.
