Convenience store CU said on the 18th it will unveil CU PLAY, a new reward content platform that fully overhauls the app-tech services in its own commerce app, Pocket CU.
CU PLAY is a service where users can earn CU points by participating in lifestyle content such as mini games, a pedometer, fortunes, and missions. The points earned can be used like cash at CU stores nationwide and on Pocket CU.
Pocket CU is a proprietary commerce application operated by CU. Through the app, customers can check product inventory at nearby stores and reserve or place pickup orders for popular items. It brings together functions related to convenience store use in one place, including membership point accrual and use, discount coupons, and new product information.
The newly launched Pocket CU content "My CU" is a nurturing game where customers run a virtual convenience store with the CU character "Keiru." Customers can enjoy the content by stocking shelves and collecting gold through mini games.
"CU Walking" is a pedometer service that lets users accumulate points based on their step count. CU also plans to sequentially introduce a feature that provides additional benefits when users set a specific CU store as a destination and visit.
Personalized recommendation content has also been prepared for customers pondering lunch menus. "What should I eat today?" is a service that offers menu recommendations and rewards with simple participation. Depending on the recommendation results, it also provides information on CU's popular products and individual preference items.
It also operates mission-style content linked to key Pocket CU features. When customers use inventory lookup, new product information, or reserve purchases, they can receive "grapes," which can be collected and exchange for CU points.
In addition, it offers various interactive content such as "CU Arcade," which gathers simple games like OX quizzes and lucky quizzes, and "Today's Fortune."
To mark the service launch, CU is running a promotion for the first 10,000 people who agree to use the content service, awarding up to 1,000 points.
Park Byung-ho, head of the online platform team at BGF Retail, said, "CU PLAY is an app-tech service designed so that the very process of using a convenience store can lead to benefits," adding, "We will continue to develop Pocket CU into a lifestyle-embedded platform through differentiated services that leverage CU's unique strengths."