Retail sales climb 9.2 pct in Aug.

Retail sales in South Korea rose 9.2 percent on-year in August as more people visited offline stores amid the extreme heat wave, with demand for food delivery and health-related products also rising from online malls. The combined sales of 23 major offline and online retailers reached 15.2 trillion won (US$11.3 billion) last month, compared with 13.9 trillion won a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Offline store sales surged 5 percent on-year in August, as the number of days with peak temperatures reaching 33 C increased to 21, up 10 from the previous year, encouraging more shoppers to visit department stores and supermarkets to avoid the heat. Shoppers also made early purchases for the Chuseok holiday, which fell a week earlier in September compared with the previous year. Sales from supermarkets increased 5.9 percent, driven by food and clothing, while department store sales rose 4.4 percent due to strong demand for Chuseok gifts. Convenience store sales also gained 4.5 percent as people purchased more ice cream and beverages amid the heat wave. Online store sales climbed 13.9 percent, with the service sector, which includes food delivery, rising 60.4 percent. Demand for food from online malls increased 19.8 percent on-year in August, although sales of sports equipment fell 12.7 percent, the data also showed. Source: Yonhap News Agency