SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's retail sales grew in single digits last month, boosted by shopping for early Chuseok holidays, the South Korean version of Thanksgiving Day, government data showed Wednesday.
The combined revenue of 26 major retailers, comprising 15 offline and 11 online ones, rose 4.5 percent in September from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.
The earlier-than-usual Chuseok holidays, which fell in late September this year compared to early October last year, led to robust sales of holiday gift sets and traditional holiday food.
Offline retail sales mounted 5.1 percent, and sales by online retailers swelled 4.0 percent.
Hypermarkets posted revenue growth for a second consecutive month, fueled by high demand for holiday groceries, home appliances and toys for gifts and apparel.
Department stores capitalized on Chuseok gift set sales, which pushed up food revenue by 13.0 percent, alongside autumn fashion demand that raised sales of women's casual wear by 15.2 percent and men's clothing by 8.7 percent.
Convenience stores logged a 5.9 percent gain in processed food sales, catering to single-person households looking for ready-to-eat meals during the holidays.
Online retail sales also benefited from the holiday surge, with grocery purchase in cyberspace climbing 6.7 percent.
Online demand for services and others, including food delivery, travel and cultural products and e-coupon purchase, advanced 10.6 percent as more consumers utilized digital grocery services. ■
