[Edaily Reporters Kyung Gye-young and Kim Mi-kyung] The World Cup cheering culture, once synonymous with “chimac” (chicken and beer) and street cheering, is expected to look different this time around. This is because the South Korean national team’s group stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, which kicks off on the 11th (local time), have been scheduled for weekday mornings. To meet the demand from so-called “home viewers” watching the games at home, the retail industry has also launched support marketing campaigns.

In this World Cup, South Korea’s group stage matches—including the game against the Czech Republic at 11 a.m. on the 12th, the match against Mexico at 10 a.m. on the 19th, and the game against South Africa at 10 a.m. on the 25th—will all take place on weekday mornings based on Korean Standard Time. Since these times coincide with work or school hours, it is expected that people will gather in small groups at home, in offices, or at schools to cheer rather than gathering together in large crowds as in previous years.

Convenience stores preparing snacks and drinks… Cheering events at Starfield

Convenience stores are the retail channel responding most quickly to these changes. They have prepared “time-based marketing” campaigns, offering discounts on popular items around the start and end of matches. In fact, on days when major sporting events take place, convenience stores see increased sales of alcohol, beverages, and snacks. According to the convenience store chain CU, on days when South Korea played in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) last March, sales—centered on alcohol (33.0%), snacks (31.4%), and beverages (21.8%)—increased by an average of 20% compared to the previous month during the three hours before the game started.

CU is offering a 3,000-won discount on three varieties of ready-to-eat fried chicken for three days before and after each South Korean game, and is running a special promotion featuring ready-to-eat meals (HMR) such as dakgangjeong, makchang, and pork trotters priced around 10,000 won. On the day before and the day of the national team’s match, they have prepared a promotion offering up to 60% off popular canned beers and selling “Get” coffee and frappés for 500 won.

GS25 will offer a 50% discount on three types of cooked chicken starting at 8 p.m. the day before the match through the day of the match, and will provide up to a 50% discount to customers who purchase two or more Go Pizza pies. Beer can be purchased at a discounted price when paying with Shinhan or KB Card or Kakao Pay. There is also a promotion offering a 50% discount when purchasing two of over 30 types of snacks.

Seven-Eleven is also offering a “buy two, get one free” deal on “Jumbo Chicken Drumsticks” and “Red Bean Glutinous Rice Donuts,” and providing discounts of up to 4,000 won on 11 varieties of ready-to-eat chicken. They are also running a “buy one, get one free” promotion on pizza slices. Emart 24 is also selling four popular beer bundles for 8,000 won (when paid with a promotional card) and offering an additional 30% discount on “Pochajang 24” snack items when you buy two or more.

The delivery platform Yogiyo is running the “Mega Points Festa” until July 5, offering enhanced points rewards for homebodies. “Mega Hot Deals” have also been prepared, providing discounts and points in collaboration with popular brands such as Mexicana Chicken, Yeopgi Tteokbokki, and Pizza Hut.

Department stores and large shopping malls are partnering with official World Cup sponsors to open pop-up stores. Since FIFA restricts the use of the World Cup name to official partners only, the strategy is to create high-quality spaces where customers can enjoy the World Cup excitement through collaborations with these sponsors.

Starfield, operated by Shinsegae Property, will set up cheering zones featuring giant screens at all locations to broadcast South Korea’s soccer matches live in partnership with official broadcaster JTBC. At Starfield COEX Mall, cheering zones will be accompanied by pop-up stores for Unilever Dove and JTBC.

Lotte Department Store is collaborating with official sponsor Visa to release official World Cup merchandise. From the 12th to the 28th, customers who spend a certain amount using a Visa card at select department store and outlet locations will receive an official World Cup beach towel or soccer ball on a first-come, first-served basis. A World Cup-themed photo zone will be set up at Lotte World Mall in Jamsil.

Hyundai Department Store will host a World Cup-themed pop-up store titled “South Korea National Football Team: Fans’ Base Camp,” operated by the Korea Football Association, at The Hyundai Seoul. In addition to selling official national team merchandise, visitors can enjoy fan-participation mission programs and uniform customization services. Shinsegae Department Store has opened a World Cup commemorative pop-up at its Gangnam branch’s Adidas store, selling national team uniforms from participating countries and offering free keychains.

An industry insider noted, “Interest and anticipation among soccer fans will grow significantly around the national team’s first match,” adding, “We expect to see more customers visiting physical stores to both cheer on the World Cup and enjoy shopping.”

'Brunch World Cup' with Limited-Edition Merchandise

Given that this World Cup is being dubbed the “Brunch World Cup” rather than a “late-night snack World Cup,” the food industry has lowered its expectations and shifted to a strategy of launching online cheering events and limited-edition merchandise. The plan is to increase consumer dwell time and enhance brand affinity rather than focusing solely on direct sales growth.

The chicken industry, which has traditionally benefited from major sporting events, is targeting consumers by highlighting its signature home-viewing foods. Kyochon is running a social media (SNS) cheering event under the theme “The Taste of Watching Soccer, Kyochon.” Participants can win prizes such as vouchers for Honey or Red Chicken and products from partner brands by predicting the scores of the South Korean national team’s matches and posting cheering messages. BBQ is also ramping up sales of its variety packs and discount promotions, while BHC plans to secure demand by offering ongoing promotions and discounts primarily through its app.

OB Beer has launched a full-scale marketing campaign featuring Cass Beer, an official World Cup sponsor. Cass recently released a World Cup campaign advertisement and has launched the “One Team Edition,” featuring the Korean national flag design, which is currently on sale. On days when the national team plays, major sports pubs in Seoul and the greater Seoul area will be transformed into “Cass Viewing Pubs” to host cheering events. HiteJinro is also ramping up its “Terra X SON7” campaign with Son Heung-min, who was appointed as a model to commemorate the 7th anniversary of Terra’s launch.

Lotte Wellfood is also running a giveaway event in collaboration with soccer player Son Heung-min, the brand model for its “World Cone” ice cream. Prizes, including a jersey autographed by Son Heung-min, a laptop, and soccer cleats, will be awarded through a drawing. Coca-Cola, an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup, has released a limited-edition package.