Korea retail sales increase 9.2% in August

It was led by strong online growth.

South Korea's retail industry saw a 9.2% year-on-year increase in August, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE).

Offline sales grew 5.0%, whilst online sales surged 13.9%.

The rise in offline sales was driven by department stores and hypermarkets, benefiting from a prolonged heatwave and early Chuseok holiday.

Hypermarket sales rose 5.9%, fueled by a 9.9% increase in food product purchases, particularly for Chuseok gifts. Department stores saw a 4.4% rise, with food sales up 18.7%.

Moreover, convenience stores recorded a 4.5% sales increase, driven by strong demand for beverages and processed foods, whilst super supermarkets (SSMs) grew 6.7%, boosted by food products and seasonal goods.

Online retail experienced a sharp 13.9% rise, driven by increased demand for food delivery and health products, with the service/other category up 60.4%.

However, fashion and sports categories saw declines, down 17.8% and 12.7% respectively.

Since you're here...

...there are many ways you can work with us to advertise your company and connect to your customers. Our team can help you dight and create an advertising campaign, in print and digital, on this website and in print magazine.

We can also organize a real life or digital event for you and find thought leader speakers as well as industry leaders, who could be your potential partners, to join the event. We also run some awards programmes which give you an opportunity to be recognized for your achievements during the year and you can join this as a participant or a sponsor.

Let us help you drive your business forward with a good partnership!

I want to download the media kit