(File photo)
SEOUL – South Korea's online shopping rose in single digits in May due to solid demand for food, travel, car accessories and e-coupon services, statistical office data showed Monday.
Shopping in cyberspace stood at 20.87 trillion won (USD 15.1 billion) in May, 7.7 percent up compared with the same period last year, according to Statistics Korea.
Transaction of agricultural, livestock and fishery products in cyberspace soared 25.0 percent, while demand for food and beverage expanded 16.1 percent in the cited month.
Online demand for travel and transport services grew 11.7 percent, and the online transaction of e-coupon services gained 13.9 percent amid the spreading trend to provide gifts such as coffee and cake through e-coupons.
Online purchases of car accessories surged 75.0 percent, but those for footwear, computers, sports and leisure items, mobile devices and culture and leisure services shrank in single figures.
Mobile shopping through smartphones increased 7.8 percent over the year to 15.51 trillion won (USD 11.3 billion) in May, accounting for 74.4 percent of the combined online shopping. (Xinhua)
