Social
Social Contribution
We deliver the warm values customers and local communities need by utilizing BGF Retail's network capabilities.
Social Contribution Strategic
BGF Retail strives for practical social contribution activities that are needed by local communities, and to deliver differentiated values. To do this, we are carrying out social contribution activities focusing on local communities in accordance with BGF Retail's social contribution strategy, which was created by comprehensively linking our direction of sustainability management and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
Be Good Friends
BGFretail Creates Emotional and Economic Values to All by Harmoniously Connecting Our Network Capability with Social Issues
Direction
social development through public
utilization efforts of network
capabilities
values in everyday life,
such as trust, comfort,
and safety
that grows and
develops community
and the
vulnerable
Area
Volunteering
the Republic of Korea
Activities
of infrastructure and systems
- “I-CU” is, a platform to prevent missing children
- Collect “Love Coin”
- Disaster Prevention and Relief “BGF Bridge”
Created Together
- “CU Sprout store” to support the self-reliance of the vulnerable
- “Senior Staff” to support jobs for senior citizens
- “CU Together” to hire people with developmental disabilities
Voluntary Participation
- Good Pay to support deaf children
- Good Friends volunteer activity
Support Campaign
- Dokdo Island Love Campaign
- Campaign to support the independent activists
Main Activities
Close Cooperation between civil society and policy agency
BGFretail uses infrastructure of 14,000 CU convenience stores nationwide to provide security services to vulnerable people. For the first time in Korea, POS Emergency Reporting System and I-CU, a campaign to prevent missing persons, has been implemented, and we are contributing to the expansion of the child safety network by discovering and rewarding those who have rendered distinguished service to children.
Disaster Prevention and Relief Campaign ‘BGF Bridge’
In January 2015, BGFretail started ‘BGF Bridge’ that supports disaster prevention and relief through an agreement with Ministry of Public Safety and Security and Korea Disaster Relief Association. BGFretail plays a urgent early rescue role in disaster prevention guidance and national disaster through utilizing Korea’s biggest retail distribution infrastructure and national distribution system. BGFretail shares its network to make our country safe and happy.
Fundraising campaigns with UNICEF
BGFretail closely cooperate with Korean Committee for UNICEF to share love with children of the world. BGFretail participates in various campaigns such as sending clean water to Africa, fundraising for global disasters and coin collection campaign through the nation’s largest retail network CU stores. BGFretail is making endeavor for children’s safety and happiness by utilizing distribution network and infrastructure.
Job creation for people with Developmental Disabilities, ‘CU Together’
BGFretail is the first company in the industry to hire people with developmental disabilities in cooperation with the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Prior to this, we have been operating Senior Staff, a senior job creation program, since 2010.
‘CU Sprout Store’ to Support Self-reliance of the socially and economically weak
‘CU Sprout Store’ is a job creation and start-up support project for socially and economically vulnerable people with work skills. BGFretail is doing its best to solve social problems based on its core business capabilities
BGF Affectionate Sharing of Goods
BGFretail has been donating goods and foods to The National Food Bank every month from 2009 to help underprivileged children who cannot afford regular meals. And staring 2013, BGF’s employees, affiliated companies, franchisees and their family participate in volunteer activity ‘BGF Affectionate Sharing of Goods’. The activity runs in 12 locations across the nation and the affectionate boxes including goods and foods delivered to the underprivileged people.
Employee Salary Sharing
Employees of BGF voluntarily contribute a portion of their monthly salaries and the company also donates the same amount as employees’ contribution. BGFretail has supported cochlear surgery for children along with the non-profit organization, ‘Lovely Snail,’ to bring the sound of hope to children with hearing disabilities. The fundraising was started in 2010 at BGFretail and it was expanded to BGF subsidiaries in 2015.
Supporting Dokdo Campaign
Starting 2012, BGFretail has been conducting various campaigns that support Dokdo such as Loving Dokdo Fundraising event, Understanding of Dokdo campaign. In 2014, BGFretail has donated profits of about 40 PB products to the non-profit organization ‘Loving Dokdo Organization’ and also conducted a nationwide campaign that supports Dokdo and Korea through nation-crossing bicycle march. BGFretail plans to support Dokdo continuously by ‘CU Dokdo Transportation Card’ that part of its profits are donated to Dokdo supporting fund.
Supporting Korean independent activists
BGFretail has signed a 'Business Agreement for Popularization of Independence Movement History' with the Independence Hall of Korea and is taking the lead in promoting the history of independence movement by introducing independence activists of the month to CU stores nationwide. In addition, the company operates a convenience store in Yeouido, Han River with the Welfare Business Association for Independent Merit, and the entire proceeds of the BGFretail are provided for the welfare of the families of independent patriots.
UN Sustainable Development Goals and BGF Retail’s corporate
philanthropic activites
QUALITY EDUCATION
Established a child-friendly library in Vietnam
AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
Supported child relief efforts and educational projects in developing countries in Southeast Asia
DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Supported the independence of socio-economically underprivileged Hired participants of self-sufficiency program and/or supported their new businesses. Hired the developmentally disabled and provided vocational education
REDUCED INEQUALITIES
Educated the job-seeking elderly and supported their employment
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
Ran disaster prevention and relief programs
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Developed and operated eco-friendly convenience store models Participated in the UN Global Compact and reported implementation
LIFE BLOW WATER
National ocean, coast & seashore parks Volunteer program for cleaning up the oceans
LIFE ON LAND
Planted urban forests (domestic) Planted carbon offset forests (overseas)
PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
Expanded missing children prevention campaigns Facilitated the Child Safety Citizens Awards program
BGF Retail is developing child safety campaigns to protect the safety and future of our precious children. We are operating the “I CU Campaign”, a missing child prevention program that utilizes convenience store infrastructure and network capabilities, and to raise awareness of child safety, we are running various campaigns, such as the long-term missing child search campaign
I CU (I care for you)
As an answer to social issues of missing children, mentally disabled, and dementia patients, and child abuse crimes that all together amount to 40,000 cases annually, BGF Retail has been running a program called ‘I CU’ since 2017 that utilizes the national CU network to temporarily protect those who are lost including children, the elderly with dementia, the developmentally disabled, etc. and hand them over to police or family.
Any CU employee who spots a lost child or dementia patient, or a victim of child abuse can enter the person's name and description into Point of Sale (POS) machine. Then, the information will be shared across all national CU stores instantaneously to help rapidly locate the missing person. A parent/guardian can also verify if the missing child is under I CU protection by visiting any nearby CU stores.
By the end of 2021, there were 106 I CU protection cases, and BGF retail received the Minister of Health and Welfare’s Commendation on 2021 National Missing Children’s Day for its contribution to the prevention and early discovery of missing children.
BGF Retail also shares missing persons alerts with the police and cooperates with relevant departments, namely the National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) and National Institute for Dementia (NID) in order to stay at the frontline of campaigns for locating long-term missing children and the elderly with dementia.
Major Case:
July 18, 2018 - 18:29
Iksan-si, Jeollabuk-do/ CU Iksan Eoyang Jugong
Branch
3-year-old and 5-year-old siblings lost their way after following a car they mistook for their father’s. Once the father of the children had realized that they were missing, he began searching the neighborhood. He entered the CU store after seeing a police car in front of the store.
January 8, 2020 - 15:53
Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do/ CU Ansan Singil World
branch
A child was separated from their guardian and got lost in the building. The child visited the CU store crying and asked for help. The guardian arrived at the store and reunited with the missing person soon after the police were dispatched.
April 25, 2018 - 20:25
Gwanak-gu, Seoul/ CU Gwanak Brown
branch
A middle-aged woman with a second-grade intellectual disability got lost in an area 30 km away from her place of residency. A CU employee called the social welfare center listed on her disability ID but no one answered. The employee proceeded with a POS report, and police escorted the woman safely back to her residency.
Civic Award Ceremony for Children's Safety
In 2018, BGF Retail signed a business agreement with the National Police Agency for ‘Civic Award Ceremony for Children's Safety.’ Since then, BGF has awarded citizens who have saved or protected children from various accidents or risks, or have actively participated in safety activities for children.
The Civic Award Ceremony for Children's Safety is divided into two categories: the Citizen Hero awards given to citizens who made his or her name known or set a good example of child protection activities, and the Child Safety Award given to those who have protected children through Child Safety Protector (House) or I CU.
Past Recipient of the Citizen Hero Awards
Balgwang
As non-profit public advertising club, produced adverts on child safety, focusing on topics such as long-term missing children, child abuse, and school violence, raising public interest in child safety.
Tae-jong Shin
Saved a life by catching a child falling from a four-story building.
Tae-woong Kang
Rescued two children who were swept away by swell waves.
