"Let's eat chicken and beer under the air conditioner in this sweltering heat"... Delivery demand surges across franchise industry

[Financial News] As consumers avoid going out amid this summer's record-breaking heat, delivery demand for franchise chains, including chicken brands, is rising sharply.
According to the franchise industry on the 24th, bhc, the chicken brand of Dining Brands Group, saw delivery sales, including its own app and delivery platforms, jump 125% year on year from June 24, when nationwide heat waves intensified, through July 10. Genesis BBQ Group also posted a 27% increase in delivery sales over the same period compared with the previous month. In the chicken industry, delivery already accounts for a large share of total sales, making short-term growth difficult. Even so, orders surged in the sweltering heat, driving an unusual rise in sales.
In particular, more customers ordered cold drinks and alcoholic beverages along with their meals to beat the heat, which helped lift average spending per order. It is not only chicken chains that are benefiting; franchise restaurants across the board are enjoying a weather-driven boost. Dunkin' reported that delivery-related sales rose by more than 50% year on year over the roughly 50 days from last month through the 17th of this month.
As more consumers visited indoor shopping facilities to escape the heat, restaurant outlets inside malls also benefited. Burger King said sales at its mall and department store locations rose by more than 15% year on year earlier this month. Starbucks Coffee Korea Co., Ltd. also enjoyed the heatwave effect, with 90% of the free beverage coupons it offered to about 15 million members from July 8 being redeemed for iced drinks.
Experts say that even though the delivery market has entered a mature phase, extreme weather such as the heat wave and monsoon rains that have lasted for more than a month has pushed consumers to use delivery again. The trend is spreading beyond chicken, the classic late-night food, to donuts, salads, bakeries, and other categories.
Diversified partnerships with delivery platforms and marketing through in-house apps also helped drive the strong results. Dunkin' expanded delivery access by teaming up with major delivery apps such as Happy Order, Baedal Minjok, Coupang Eats, Yogiyo, and Ttaenggyeoyo. Meanwhile, the three major chicken brands, BHC Chicken, bb.q Chicken, and Kyochon, are focusing on locking in loyal customers by offering a range of discounts and free delivery benefits to users of their own apps.
Lee Eun-hee, a professor in the Department of Consumer Studies at Inha University, explained, "The food service and delivery markets tend to see very large swings in sales depending on weather conditions." She added, "This summer has been especially hot, so demand has increased for delivery not only for late-night meals but also for breakfast, lunch, and even coffee, and overall performance in the related industries has shown an upward trend."
[email protected] Park Kyung-ho Reporter