According to data from Statistics Korea, online shopping in Korea increased by 9.1% year-on-year in July. The total value of online shopping transactions reached 18.9 trillion won ($14.31 billion), compared to 17.3 trillion won in the same period last year. This growth in online shopping can be attributed to the recovery of the travel industry, as travel and transportation services saw a significant increase of 31.4% year-on-year, reaching 2.1 trillion won.
Online sales of food and beverages also saw a significant increase of 15.7%, reaching 2.49 trillion won. Additionally, sales of e-coupons, or online gift cards, increased by 28.1%, amounting to 735.1 billion won. Food delivery services also experienced growth, with sales reaching 2.35 trillion won, a year-on-year increase of 2.4%. Clothing sales also increased by 4.5%, reaching 1.5 trillion won.
Purchases made through smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices accounted for 74.5% of total online shopping and reached 14 trillion won, an increase of 6.9% compared to the previous year. However, this percentage decreased by 1.5 percentage points compared to the previous year.
Overall, the increase in online shopping can be attributed to the pent-up demand for travel services as pandemic-related restrictions were lifted. Consumers are increasingly turning to online platforms to make their purchases, especially through mobile devices. Online sales of various categories, such as travel, food and beverages, and clothing, have seen significant growth in response to changing consumer behavior.