Online shopping hits second-highest in March

SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- Online shopping in South Korea rose to the second-highest level in March on the back of solid demand for food delivery services and travel services amid the economic recovery, data showed Monday.

The value of online shopping transactions stood at 17.2 trillion won (US$13.6 billion) in March, up 11.1 percent from the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea.

It marked the second-highest reading since the agency began to compile related data in 2001. Online shopping soared to a record high of 17.8 trillion won in December last year.

Purchases made through smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices rose 17.2 percent on-year to 12.8 trillion won of the total value of online shopping.

Online shopping gained traction as the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic intensified a non-contact shopping trend on the popularity of delivery apps and other mobile platforms.

Online transactions of food delivery services rose 21.1 percent on-year to 2.38 trillion won in March. Those of food and beverages went up 23.2 percent to 2.4 trillion won.

Online shopping for travel and transportation services jumped 51.8 percent to 946 billion won as people's activity increased amid relaxed virus curbs.

In late March, the government eased the limit on private gatherings to eight people from six, while maintaining the 11 p.m. business curfew on restaurants and cafes.

In the first quarter, the value of online shopping grew 11.8 percent to 49.1 trillion won, the data showed. Transactions of mobile shopping gained 18 percent to 37.4 trillion won in the cited period.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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