Retail sales up in June led mostly by online shops

SEOUL, July 30 (Yonhap) -- Retail sales in South Korea continued to rise in June as online shopping malls sold more fresh goods on the back of their faster delivery services, data showed Tuesday.

The combined sales of 26 major offline and online retailers reached 10.5 trillion won (US$8.86 billion) last month, up 5 percent from a year earlier, according to the data by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Sales of 13 major online stores and marketplaces jumped 11.7 percent over the cited period to drive the overall growth, the data showed.

The rise was mostly attributable to strong demand for fresh products, along with seasonal demand for home appliances, according to the ministry.

Thirteen offline retailers, including department stores and discount chains, also saw their sales edge up 0.7 percent, led mostly by convenient stores offering ready-to-eat products.

Supermarkets, however, suffered a slight decrease in their sales as consumers preferred to purchase agricultural products through other channels, the ministry added.

colin@yna.co.kr
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