CU Convenience Store (CU) Sets Itself Apart in Cooking, Debuting Industry-First “Smart Cooker”

[Financial News] CU is stepping up efforts to strengthen its convenience-store food offerings by introducing the industry’s first cooking appliance that combines microwave, air fryer and oven functions.
According to BGF Retail Co., Ltd. on the 20th, CU will introduce its next-generation cooking appliance, the Smart Cooker, starting on the 22nd. The device combines microwave, air fryer and oven functions, and automatically applies cooking methods suited to the characteristics of each product.
When a customer scans a product’s barcode, the food is cooked automatically according to preset instructions. The food can be prepared in a way suited to the product without manually setting the cooking time or temperature.
The introduction of the Smart Cooker is expected to expand the range of food that can be prepared at convenience stores. Whereas stores have traditionally relied on microwaves to heat lunch boxes, frozen foods and other products, the Smart Cooker can use a variety of cooking methods for different products, such as frozen chicken, pizza and baked goods.
The microwave function is used for products that need to be heated quickly, while the air fryer or oven function is used for products that need a crispy texture. The device can also combine cooking methods by heating food in the microwave first and finishing it in the air fryer or oven.
CU’s merchandisers (MDs) set the cooking instructions in advance, taking into account the characteristics of each product. Around 1,000 recipes can be used, and new products and cooking instructions are continually updated via Wi-Fi. In CU’s internal test, at least 90% of participating employees rated food prepared with the Smart Cooker as tastier than food prepared using the existing method.
CU will initially introduce about 500 Smart Cookers, focusing on university areas, neighborhoods with many studio apartments and officetels that are frequented by people in their 20s and 30s and by single-person households. It plans to gradually expand the number of stores with the devices, taking into account operating results and customer response.
Jin Young-ho, head of Product and Overseas Business at BGF Retail Co., Ltd., said, “The introduction of the Smart Cooker is part of CU’s food-tech strategy and can take the gourmet experience of convenience-store food to the next level. CU will continue to apply a range of the latest technologies so customers can enjoy convenience-store products in the tastiest and most convenient way.”
[email protected] Jang Yu-ha Reporter