South Korean convenience store CU helps bring booze culture to metaverse

South Korea’s largest convenience store chain CU said on Tuesday it is launching its alcohol brands on JJAANN, a local metaverse platform dedicated to drinking culture.

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Fast facts

• JJAANN, which calls itself the world’s first corner of the metaverse dedicated to all things alcohol, provides virtual lounges for users to enjoy drinking with metaverse entertainment, such as games and karaoke.

• CU will provide banners of its signature alcoholic drinks and snacks that JJAANN users can hang in their virtual lounges.

• The convenience store plans to provide a delivery service in conjunction with its membership app, Pocket CU, where JJAANN users can order food and snacks using CU banners.

• CU reported a more than 30% surge in annual sales of alcohol in 2021 as more people drank at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• CU is the largest convenience store chain in South Korea with over 15,800 stores in the country.

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