Baseball boom draws convenience stores deeper into the ballpark game

"Buy ice and get a free ice cup!"

At Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, around 6 p.m. on June 5, fans were already streaming through the corridors ahead of the Doosan Bears-Kiwoom Heroes game. GS25 stores lined the passageways, refrigerators packed with beer positioned out front, as staff worked without pause to restock the shelves.

Inside one store, a display of KBO-branded products stopped shoppers in their tracks. Lotte Wellfood's Pepero and Choco-cone snacks — dressed in team character packaging and featuring random collectible stickers — drew particular attention.

"An ice cup is a must at a summer ballgame," said a 25-year-old Doosan Bears fan who gave only her surname, A. "These days, with all the KBO-collaboration snacks and merchandise, stopping by the convenience store has become part of the fun." At some ballpark stores, sales of KBO-collaboration Pepero jumped 30 percent year-on-year last month.

Convenience store chains invest heavily in ballpark locations because of reliable demand. Popular stadiums draw tens of thousands of fans per game, generating consistent sales of drinks and snacks. Operating all the concession stands under a single brand also locks in a captive customer base — and unlike regular street-front stores, ballpark outlets can post strong sales figures without running discounts or buy-one-get-one promotions.

The early winner this season is GS25, which holds the concession rights at Jamsil Baseball Stadium after defending its contract in a bidding war late last year. Cumulative attendance at Jamsil has surpassed 1.37 million this season, according to the KBO. Sales at the 15 GS25 stores near the stadium have risen 21.5 percent year-on-year since opening day, and merchandise revenue at three baseball-themed stores operated in partnership with the LG Twins and Hanwha Eagles has topped 300 million won (about $194,000).

CU is keeping pace. The chain operates stores at Daegu Samsung Lions Park and Gwangju-Kia Champions Field — the second- and third-highest attendance venues this season, with cumulative crowds of 660,000 and 550,000 respectively. A KBO-collaboration version of the Madeca cooling patch proved a breakout hit, sending sales in the over-the-counter health product category up 81-fold year-on-year. Daegu Samsung Lions Park recently secured a restock of 40,000 units to meet demand.

Seven-Eleven is generating sales across three stadiums — Sajik Baseball Stadium (580,000 cumulative attendees), Suwon KT Wiz Park (420,000) and Changwon NC Park (380,000). Sales at stores near those venues rose 32 percent from opening day through June 4. Trading cards from the "2026 KBO Official Collection" drove toy and collectibles sales up 168 percent year-on-year, while ice (up 157 percent), ice cream (up 116 percent) and sports drinks (up 78 percent) also posted sharp gains.

E-mart24, which operates inside Incheon SSG Landers Field, saw sales at nearby stores climb 35 percent year-on-year. Instant coffee led all categories with a 344 percent surge, followed by phone battery packs (up 140 percent), sandwiches (up 124 percent) and bottled water (up 120 percent).

A convenience store industry official said that as professional baseball's popularity grows, demand is rising not only for drinks and snacks but also for team-collaboration products and baseball cards. "As attendance growth translates directly into sales, competition among convenience store chains for ballpark locations will only intensify going forward," the official said.