In South Korea, where the highest inflation in years is causing chicken prices to rise, one grocery store is cutting costs. Homeplus, the nation’s second-largest retailer, has slashed prices for fried chicken by as much as two-thirds to cash in on consumer angst.
Demand has surged. South Koreans have left no stone unturned in looking for ways to save on food, and that includes standing in hourslong queues to buy discounted poultry.
Inside one Homeplus store, a long line of customers waited patiently near the meats section on a recent day in hope of some cheap food. An employee in a tall chef’s hat emerged from the kitchen with key news: "We have 30 chickens coming!” For shoppers at the front of the queue, the wait paid off. For those at the back, it was a waste of time.