South Korea’s convenience store chain GS25 has opened a space to experience new Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The country’s tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. introduced the concept of “Flip Side Market,” a pop-up store for experiencing its new products, such as the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which was first unveiled last week, and opened at GS25’s DOOR to Seongsu, the only one among convenience stores. This is the first time a convenience store has opened a Galaxy Studio.

GS25 announced on Sunday that it opened the “Galaxy Studio with GS25” at GS25’s flagship store DOOR to Seongsu in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, from July 28 to Aug. 20, where customers can experience new Galaxy smartphones. “The Z Flip 3, which was released in 2021, sold more than 1 million units, and 54 percent of all buyers were young generations,” an official from GS Retail Co., which operates the convenience store chain. “Samsung Electronics, which was exploring various pop-up stores in Seongsu-dong, chose our DOOR to Seongsu as an exotic and creative space,” the official said.

GS25 also introduced a variety of desserts to maximize synergy with the latest Galaxy smartphones. The packaging for four varieties of the popular dessert, Cream Canele, was designed to match the shape and color of the new smartphones.

Behind the opening of the Flip Side Market at the GS25 store is GS Retail Vice Chairman Huh Yeon-soo’s platform expansion strategy. Huh has emphasized the need for convenience stores to go beyond offline channels that sell processed food and daily necessities and become lifestyle channels that offer a variety of experiences. The digital enhancement, which began with the acquisition of Yogiyo, a local food delivery platform, in 2021, is also aimed at maximizing sales by expanding the consumer base that visits convenience stores.

Samsung Electronics’ decision to open a pop-up store at the GS25 convenience store, the first of its kind, is also in line with the expansion strategy. In fact, GS25 has the most flagship stores in the convenience store industry, and it is expanding the scope of convenience stores by introducing various types of stores, starting with its premium store in Hapjeong-dong, Seoul in December 2021. This is why Samsung Electronics was the first to propose and open a pop-up store at GS25 DOOR to Seongsu.

By Kim Gyu-sik and Yoon Yeon-hae

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