[Edaily Reporter Kim Ji-woo ] GS Holdings, a convenience store chain operated by GS Retail(007070), announced on the 24th that it has opened the industry’s first “Ichibankuji” specialty store.

“Ichibankuji” is a Japanese-style prize draw where customers pay at a kiosk, select a coupon, and receive a random prize. Since every coupon is assigned a prize, it is known as a “no-losers” draw. Limited-edition figurines and character merchandise based on popular intellectual property (IP) are among the main items.

GS Holdings partnered with DAEWON MEDIA CO.,LTD. to introduce the industry’s first Ichibankuji kiosk in June of last year. Now, the company is expanding its collaboration by opening a specialized store themed around “Ichibankuji.”

GS Holdings has renovated its Seomyeon Star store, located on Seomyeon Youth Street in Busan, into an “Ichibankuji” specialty store. The location was ultimately selected as a specialty store after comprehensively considering the characteristics of the commercial district—which has a high proportion of customers in their 10s and 30s and sees a steady influx of foreign tourists—as well as customer demographic data and the store’s spatial features.

The Seomyeon Star Store operates on a two-story layout. The first floor serves as the standard convenience store space, while the second floor—accessible via an internal staircase—has been transformed into a dedicated area where customers can experience Ichibankuji, as well as anime and character IPs. The dedicated space features an Ichibankuji kiosk and a large display area consisting of seven display cases. These cases showcase limited-edition figurines and merchandise featuring famous characters.

GS25 plans to use the Ichibankuji specialty store as a testing ground and hub for expanding related content. The company intends to first introduce new content, analyze customer feedback and operational data, and then roll it out to stores nationwide. The specialty space is directly connected to the convenience store via an internal staircase to increase customer dwell time and encourage cross-selling.

Song Jeong-hwan, MD of the Service Product Team at GS Retail, said, “We are introducing the Ichibankuji specialty store as part of our differentiated content tailored to changing customer demands and consumption trends,” adding, “We will actively roll out unique content, such as distinctive kiosks, to provide new entertainment and shopping experiences.”