Online shopping up 12.5 percent as consumers avoid stores

A delivery from e-commerce operator Coupang. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Online shopping in April jumped 12.5 percent on year to 12.26 trillion won ($10.08 billion), announced Statistics Korea Wednesday.

The sales hike was led by food delivery services, which saw a huge 83.7 percent, or 575.5 billion won, jump in sales. Food and beverage sales followed with a 43.6 percent increase, or 462.1 billion won. Daily necessities came in third with a 36 percent jump, or 288.5 billion won.

As people avoided direct contact with others due to the coronavirus pandemic, the amount spent on services online shrank 14.4 percent.

Culture and leisure services saw an 85.8 percent on-year decline, while travel and transportation service transactions declined 69.6 percent.

Mobile shopping volume grew 18.4 percent on-year to 7.96 trillion won.

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]