World Cup an excuse for weekday morning chicken and beer? Retailers are ready

South Korea's retail and food industries have kicked off World Cup marketing campaigns as the 2026 North America World Cup approaches with less than a week to go. Because South Korea's group-stage matches are all scheduled for morning hours in Korean Standard Time, companies are focusing on ready-to-eat foods and home viewers rather than street cheering events or late-night snack promotions.

The tournament opens Friday with a season opener at 4 a.m. Korean Standard Time and runs for 39 days. South Korea faces the Czech Republic at 11 a.m. on Friday, Mexico at 10 a.m. on June 19, and South Africa at 10 a.m. on June 25.

Convenience stores are leading the marketing push. GS25 will offer 50 percent discounts on three chicken products — including boneless fried chicken — from 8 p.m. the evening before each South Korea match through match day, along with beer bundle pickup promotions. CU will sell three chicken varieties, including fried chicken, at 3,000 won off the day before, the day of, and the day after each match. Seven-Eleven will give customers who pay with Kakao Pay a 30 percent discount on a whole fried chicken and 10 percent off 24 beer bundle options. E-mart24 will sell four popular beer bundles at a flat price of 8,000 won through June 30, and plans to offer coupons worth a total of 30 million won ($19,900) through an in-app match prediction event starting Tuesday.

"Because this World Cup's group-stage matches are scheduled for morning hours in Korea, we expect demand for food during lunchtime to rise," a convenience store industry official said. "Group cheering at schools, workplaces and other everyday settings is expected to be more active than ever, which should also drive more food purchases at nearby convenience stores."

Hypermarkets have also joined in. E-mart is running discounts on imported beer and frozen chicken from June 3 through June 17. Starting Thursday, customers who accumulate Shinsegae points will receive an additional 20 percent discount. Lotte Mart will hold a "cheering food event" from Thursday through June 17, expanding its lineup beyond chicken and beer to include snacks, fruit and large-format beverages.

The liquor industry is equally active. OB Beer will operate a pop-up store called "Cass FIFA World Cup Fan Base Camp" near Gangnam Station in Seoul from Thursday through June 25, hosting group-viewing events at the venue. Cass is an official FIFA World Cup sponsor. Hite Jinro is rolling out a "Terra X SON7 Edition" marketing campaign fronted by Son Heung-min and has released a stainless steel insulated cup developed in collaboration with Lock & Lock.