S.Korea's retail sales rise in September on Chuseok holiday

Source: Xinhua | 2018-10-31

Retail sales in South Korea rose last month on solid food demand for the Chuseok holiday, the South Korean version of Thanksgiving Day, a government report showed Tuesday.

The combined revenue of major retailers online and offline increased 6.9 percent in September from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Online sales expanded 8.6 percent, while offline sales grew 6.0 percent in the month.

Sales by discount chains jumped 8.1 percent on robust demand for food ahead of the Chuseok holiday, when family members gather at their homes to share food and give thanks to ancestors.

Department store sales rose 4.7 percent on food demand, while sales by key convenient stores advanced 5.1 percent on demand for imported beer and lunch box.