[Yahoo! Shopping] First-ever 'Yahoo! Shopping Gourmet General Election' to determine Japan's favorite gourmet foods

Yahoo! Shopping, operated by LINE Yahoo Corporation, will launch a user-participation event called the 'Yahoo! Shopping Gourmet General Election' starting Friday, May 29, 2026. This project allows users to vote for their favorite gourmet products sold by stores on Yahoo! Shopping. The results are scheduled to be announced in July 2026, and a coupon campaign for the winning products will also be held. The food category on Yahoo! Shopping offers a wide range of products, from local specialties and popular mail-order gourmet items to everyday food products. However, some users have expressed concerns such as 'there are too many products to choose from' or 'I have few opportunities to discover new gourmet foods.' Addressing these challenges, the company is strengthening its food category through initiatives like 'Certified Gourmet,' based on evaluations by food experts, and 'Yahoo! Shopping Exclusive Gourmet,' which can only be purchased on the platform, aiming to make Yahoo! Shopping the go-to service for gourmet food. As a result of these efforts, the food category is widely used, with the number of orders increasing by 122% compared to the previous year. This new user-participation project aims to determine popular products through user voting. In addition to selecting the top 10 in three categories—'Best Value Gourmet,' 'Reward Gourmet,' and 'Must-Repeat Gourmet'—the project will determine the 'Yahoo! Shopping No. 1 Gourmet' across all categories. Users can vote for their favorite products via a special page, enjoying new encounters with gourmet foods from across Japan. By visualizing popular gourmet foods from the perspective of user support in addition to expert evaluations, the company aims to provide a more enjoyable and easier purchasing experience. The voting period is from 12:00 PM on Friday, May 29, 2026, to 11:59 PM on Friday, June 12, 2026. In the results announcement scheduled for July 2026, the top 30 products will be introduced on the special page. Furthermore, an OFF coupon campaign targeting the top-ranking products will be implemented, allowing users to purchase popular gourmet items at a discount.