The 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup has unexpectedly boosted the delivery industry as South Korea's national soccer team matches are primarily scheduled in the morning. The usual evening delivery demand has shifted to the morning, coupled with heightened viewer enthusiasm, leading to a surge in orders for popular game-day foods like chicken and pizza. Delivery platforms have launched discount competitions aimed at both home viewers and office fans to maintain interest following the team's first match victory.
According to Nielsen Korea, the viewership rating for South Korea's opening match against the Czech Republic on June 12 at the Estadio Guadalajara reached 8.5% on KBS 2TV and 5.7% on JTBC. Online engagement was also high, with up to 4.82 million simultaneous viewers on Naver's streaming platform, Chijijik.
Delivery consumption patterns have shifted significantly. Woowa Brothers, the operator of Baedal Minjok, reported that from 9 a.m. to noon on June 12, the number of orders increased by 36.6% compared to the same day last month, and by 51.5% compared to the previous week. Orders surged by 90.6% during the hour leading up to the match, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Notably, chicken orders saw a dramatic increase. Typically low during morning hours, chicken orders skyrocketed by 875.8% compared to the previous week, nearly a tenfold rise. Group orders from office workers also contributed to the increased demand. In major office districts such as Jongno, Gwanghwamun, Euljiro, Yeouido, and Gangnam, order volumes rose by 46.4% compared to the previous week, with Gwanghwamun seeing a 115% increase. A representative from Woowa Brothers stated, "It is unusual to see such a spike in orders during the morning hours, indicating that the World Cup is creating a new delivery culture."
Yogiyo also confirmed the World Cup's impact on delivery orders. On June 12, orders surged significantly compared to the previous week, with peak ordering times differing from the norm. Typically, weekday orders peak between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Fridays, but on this day, demand was highest between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. due to the match viewing.
The delivery industry is seizing the heightened World Cup excitement as an opportunity to boost sales and enhance marketing efforts. With increased interest in the national team following their first match victory, companies aim to capture the demand from home viewers and office fans to sustain the morning surge. The South Korean team is set to face Mexico on June 19 and South Africa on June 25, both at 10 a.m.
Coupang Eats is running a chicken discount event until June 30 to capitalize on chicken demand. They are hosting a prediction event for expected scores before matches, offering a 10,000 won discount coupon through a lottery, and providing up to 6,000 won in thank-you coupons based on actual match scores.
Baedal Minjok is holding the "Baemin Eating Festival" until July 19, featuring over 100 popular brands, including chicken, and offering customers discounts of up to 10,000 won.
Yogiyo is competing with a focus on reward benefits, launching a "Mega Reward Festival" until July 5, where customers can earn up to 10,000 points for ordering four or more times, with a maximum of 50,000 points during the event. They are also providing discounts of up to 13,000 won on popular brands like chicken, pizza, and snacks that are commonly ordered during World Cup matches. A Yogiyo representative remarked, "Despite the unusual timing of weekday morning matches, interest and excitement for the World Cup are high. We will offer a variety of foods and generous discounts to enhance the viewing experience for our customers."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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