S. Korea’s retail sale grows in September

SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) — South Korea’s retail sale kept growing last month due to strong online demand for food, home appliances and daily necessities, government data showed Tuesday.
Combined revenues among major offline and online retailers gained 6.7 percent in September from a year earlier, slower than a growth of 9.2 percent in the previous month, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Revenues for online retailers jumped 15.7 percent last month, maintaining a double-digit growth for the 13th straight month since September last year.
Sales by offline retailers reduced 0.9 percent in September on a yearly basis after expanding 5.0 percent in the prior month.
Food demand in cyberspace soared 14.7 percent, while online sales of home appliances and daily necessities went up in double digits.
Online demand for service, including travel, food delivery and e-coupon purchase, spiked 52.9 percent, but sales of clothes and sports items in cyberspace declined in single figures.
Offline demand for home appliances advanced 17.9 percent, but those for clothes, sports items and food retreated in single digits.
Revenues among discount outlets, department stores and convenience stores lost ground last month. ■