South Korea Retail Sales Rose 6.4% in July on Summer Spending

South Korea’s major retailers increased combined sales by 6.4 percent year-on-year in July. Demand for vacation gear, imported fashion, and food delivery services drove the rise.

Internet platforms handled the bulk of that growth. They captured 60.8 percent of total retail revenue during the month, according to data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Department Stores and Convenience Chains Expand

Brick-and-mortar turnover climbed 3.2 percent from a year earlier. Both department stores and convenience chains extended their unbroken run of year-on-year growth to 13 consecutive months.

Department stores posted the sharpest gains offline, with sales jumping 17.9 percent. Demand rose across every major category. Imported apparel, summer travel gear, and cooling appliances led the expansion.

Convenience stores generated a 1.1 percent sales increase over the same period. Foot traffic slipped. Higher spending per transaction kept overall takings positive.

Online Channels Take Larger Revenue Share

Digital platforms posted an 8.5 percent revenue increase compared with July last year. Food delivery orders, packaged groceries, and home appliances recorded the fastest category gains across web storefronts.

Consumer habits in the country continue to split. Digital channels dominate everyday replenishment, while physical stores rely on experiential shopping and premium apparel to draw spending.

Trade ministry officials will publish the August retail index next month. That report will show whether back-to-school shopping and late-summer promotions sustained the sales momentum.