Retailers eye World Cup-driven win with deals on beer, chicken, other viewing essentials

For once, 10 a.m. may be beer o'clock, with retailers are presenting World Cup-inspired campaigns for beer, fried chicken and other watch-party essentials as the tournament nears.

Oriental Brewery's Cass packaging celebrates the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. [ORIENTAL BREWERY]

For once, 10 a.m. may be beer o'clock. With 10 days to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, retailers are presenting World Cup-inspired campaigns for beer, fried chicken and other watch-party essentials.

Food and beverage companies are counting on the tournament to drive higher daytime sales figures as Korea’s group-stage matches will kick off at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. on weekdays, according to industry sources on Monday.

Korea's group-stage opener against the Czech Republic is scheduled for 11 a.m. on June 12, followed by a game against Mexico at 10 a.m. on June 19 and another against South Africa at 10 a.m. on June 25.

“With most of Korea's matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar played late at night or before dawn, fans had few opportunities to gather and watch together,” a source from the retail industry said. "This time, we expect far more organized watch parties, which should also boost food purchases, particularly around lunchtime."

A person promotes GS25 sales campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in an undated photo. [GS25]

Convenience store chain GS25 plans to sell fried chicken at half price on the days of Korea's group stage matches, while also offering steep discounts on pizza, beer and snacks. Supermarket affiliate GS The Fresh will hold special time-based promotions through its mobile application — Our Neighborhood GS — between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on match days.

GS25 and CU are hoping to cash in on the football fervor with their newly introduced 24-hour delivery services.

Sales of fried chicken, beer and frozen ready-to-eat meals jumped by triple digits during the previous World Cup compared to the pre-tournament period, according to the convenience store industry.

A poster for Paris Baguette's promotional event [PARIS BAGUETTE]

Companies are also leaning heavily on Korean captain Son Heung-min in their marketing efforts.

Lotte Wellfood is holding a promotional event through July 31 in which customers can win prizes, including an autographed jersey, by entering a lucky draw using a number printed under the lid of its World Cone ice cream.

An earlier promotion that offered trips to the tournament host countries attracted 80,000 participants. Customers who verified their World Cone purchases were eligible to participate.

Bakery franchise brand Paris Baguette is holding a lottery on its mobile app through June 19. The prizes include an exclusive fan meeting with Son and his Los Angeles FC teammates, paid trips to Los Angeles and tickets to home matches.

Domino's Pizza's chewy butter pastry dessert resembles soccer balls. [DOMINO'S PIZZA]

Limited-edition products celebrating the World Cup are also hitting store shelves.

Oriental Brewery, whose beer brand Cass is an official FIFA sponsor, has launched its "One Team Edition" beer package featuring the symbol on the Korean flag, which features yin and yang forces in blue and red.

Domino's Pizza has introduced a football-shaped chewy butter pastry dessert to its side dish menu.

The fashion industry is also looking to score with football fans.

Fashion brand Musinsa is offering discounts on official merchandise for the Korean national team as well as jerseys from prominent domestic and global football clubs.

"If the Korean team performs well, public interest in the World Cup will rise even further,” another industry source said. “It will add momentum to the related marketing campaigns.” Stuck at work or school when Korea kicks off? We've got you covered. The Korea JoongAng Daily is live-blogging every Korea match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, around the clock. Don't miss a moment.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY IM SUN-YOUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]