SEOUL, July 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's retail sale rose in the first half of this year on the back of brisk online sale, caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, a government report said Thursday.
Revenue by major local retailers grew 3.7 percent in the January-June period compared to the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Sale by online retailers gained 17.5 percent in the six-month period as people refrained from outside activities such as shopping at offline stores amid the fear of the virus infection.
Online demand for food jumped 50.7 percent in the first half, and the sale of household items and furniture added 26.7 percent. The sale of clothing in the cyber market grew 1.3 percent.
Revenue by offline retailers shrank 6.0 percent in the first half from a year earlier on weak demand for items relevant to outside activities, such as sporting goods.
Sale by convenient stores rose 1.9 percent, but those for discount outlets and department stores slipped 5.6 percent and 14.2 percent respectively. Enditem
