"Tens of millions of baseball fans watch while eating"... Chicken and convenience store sales surge as fall baseball begins

The competition in the "2026 KBO Pro Baseball" season is not yet over. Starting with the Wild Card Series between the LG Twins and the Doosan Bears on the 14th, fall baseball will unfold for about a month. As the cheering enthusiasm of fans from teams advancing to this year's postseason, including the KT Wiz, Samsung Lions, and KIA Tigers, intensifies, the retail industry is also buzzing. This is because consumption of various food items, including chicken and beer, as well as snacks and beverages, increases significantly regardless of whether fans watch games at the stadium or at home on TV.

The chicken industry is the sector most actively targeting the fall baseball boom. Many consumers enjoy chicken and beer while watching games at home, and chicken has also become an essential food item for those who visit the stadium in person.

bhc has launched a campaign to target baseball fans by participating as an official sponsor of the KBO postseason this year, following its participation last year. bhc is running a promotion on its app where customers can receive discount coupons by selecting their supporting team, and customers who order chicken above a certain amount are given a chance to win tickets to postseason games through a lottery. According to bhc, sales at its nationwide stores increased by 18.4% during last year's Korea Series compared to the same period the previous year. In particular, on the day of Game 5 of the Korea Series, when the champion was decided, sales surged by 82.3% compared to the same day the previous year.

BBQ and Kyochon Chicken also expect significant sales growth during the fall baseball period. Beer, which is considered a representative food item alongside chicken for fall baseball, is also a beneficiary of the postseason boom. Many baseball fans purchase beer along with their chicken orders or prepare beer and snacks in advance at convenience stores before games begin. The alcohol industry, including Hite Jinro and OB Beer, is also targeting this postseason as an opportunity to expand sales.

In fact, last year's pro baseball popularity led to increased beer sales. According to GS Retail, sales of major beer products sold at 12 GS25 stores inside Jamsil Baseball Stadium and three nearby stores during the regular season increased compared to the same period the previous year. Sales of Hite Jinro's Terra increased by 23%, and OB Beer's Cass increased by 14%.

Convenience stores located in baseball stadiums are also growing their expectations for the fall baseball boom. GS25 expects sales increases from the early stages of fall baseball. This is because the LG Twins and Doosan Bears, who use Jamsil Baseball Stadium as their home ground, will face off in the Wild Card Series. During last year's Korea Series between the LG Twins and the Hanwha Eagles, GS25 sales inside Jamsil Baseball Stadium increased by 28.4% compared to regular season game days in early October of the same year. Sales at the Jamsil Tower branch, an LG-specialized store near the stadium, jumped by 108.2%.

CU is expecting a boom during the Junior Playoffs and Playoffs. It operates five stores each at Gwangju Kia Champions Field, where the Junior Playoffs will be held, and Daegu Samsung Lions Park, where the Playoffs will take place. During the Korea Series between the KIA Tigers and the Samsung Lions from the 21st to 28, 2024, sales of major products at CU stores in both stadiums also increased significantly. Compared to the last week of September of the same year, snack sales increased by 65.2% and coffee beverage sales by 57.5%, while beer and ice cream sales also rose by more than 40%.

Seven-Eleven is placing its hopes on the Korea Series. This is because it operates four stores at Suwon KT Wiz Park, the home ground of the KT Wiz, who finished first in the regular league. During the Playoffs between the KT Wiz and the NC Dinos on the 30-31, 2023, Seven-Eleven sales inside KT Wiz Park increased by more than 95% compared to regular season game days at the end of September of the same year.

A convenience store industry official said, "Based on past postseason sales trends, we are expanding inventory of popular items such as beer, snacks, beverages, and cold-weather gear to prepare for the fall baseball boom."