In brief
September’s online shopping in South Korea increased 4.1% to 24.97 trillion won, largely propelled by a 30.9% rise in car sales, particularly Tesla models, and gains in food delivery and agricultural product shopping. Mobile‑device purchases dominated the market, comprising 76.4% of total sales, while electronics and home appliances saw a 7.0% decline. The data, reported by Xinhua, points to a consumer shift toward automotive and food‑service e‑commerce.
South Korea’s online retail sector grew 4.1 percent in September, rising to 24.97 trillion won (about 18.6 billion U.S. dollars), Xinhua reported on Monday by citing the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
Drivers of the uptick were particularly strong demand for automobiles, food‑delivery services and agricultural products. Online sales of cars and car accessories surged 30.9 percent, a jump attributed in part to a swell of online orders for U.S. automaker Tesla models.
Food‑delivery services rose 5.9 percent and agricultural, livestock and fishery products climbed 9.7 percent, according to the ministry data referenced by Xinhua.
In contrast, home appliances and electronics fell 7.0 percent, marking a retreat from those categories in the online marketplace.
Mobile shopping — purchases made on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices — accounted for 76.4 percent of the overall online sales, up 5.4 percent from the previous year. Mobile sales of clothing decreased 7.9 percent, yet mobile purchases of food delivery services, agricultural products, and travel and transportation services rose 6.0 percent, 15.2 percent and 8.7 percent respectively.
This pattern shows a clear shift toward mobile‑based transactional activity in categories that suit impulse buying and quick service delivery, a trend that Xinhua notes is evidencing a broader consumer shift in South Korea’s digital economy.
