SEOUL – South Korea’s online shopping recorded double-digit growth in the second quarter, as people remained cautious about going out to shop amid the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic, data showed today.
Shopping in cyberspace amounted to 46.89 trillion won (RM170 billion) in the April-June quarter, up 25.1% from a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Korea.
It marked the highest quarterly increase since data began to be compiled in 2001. Online shopping spiked 22.0% in the January-March quarter, reported Xinhua.
The double-digit expansion came as the continued pandemic discouraged people from leaving their homes.
Demand for food delivery services also advanced 58.7%, with the online purchase for food and beverage surging 34.4% in the second quarter.
Online demand for travel and transport, as well as culture and leisure services went up 43.4% and 61.3% each.
Meanwhile, shopping through smartphones reached 33.3 trillion won during the quarter, up 32.4% from a year earlier. – Bernama, August 4, 2021
