Demand for closing-time discounts is increasing across South Korea as persistent inflation puts pressure on household grocery budgets. Sales of discounted items at Lotte Mart and Lotte Super rose 5.9% year over year in the first quarter, 7.7% in the second quarter and 6.1% in the third quarter covering July and August. GS25’s closing-discount sales surged 134% last year and increased another 32% in the first half of this year. Delivery platforms are also gaining traction: Baemin reported an 11.7% increase in orders compared with the two months before its June launch, while Yogiyo said orders were up 35% from its early service period. Ready-to-eat foods such as raw fish, deli dishes, fried items, boxed meals, sandwiches and gimbap are the main demand drivers. Supermarkets can reduce prices by up to 40% from evening until closing, with discounts deepening as the deadline approaches. E-Mart’s discounted raw-fish sales rose about 70% in the first half. The trend comes as South Korea’s consumer price index reached 120.05 in August 2026, up 3.1% year over year, while living necessities prices rose 3.2%. Food and non-alcoholic beverages represented 14.8% of household consumption spending in the second quarter, with average monthly spending reaching 434,000 won, up 2.8% from a year earlier.