SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Retail sales in South Korea rose last month on demand for fruits and ice cream amid the sweltering heat, a government report showed Wednesday.
Combined sales online and offline by major 26 retailers gained 3.6 percent in July from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Offline sales expanded on demand for food such as fruits amid the heating wave, the ministry said.
Food sales by convenient store surged 15.2 percent on strong demand for ice cream and beverage. The number of convenient stores jumped 14.8 percent, increasing their overall sales by 11.1 percent.
Food sales in discount outlets grew 4.8 percent last month, raising the overall sales by 1.7 percent. Electronic device sales at the discount outlets rose 3.7 percent on demand for electric fans and dehumidifiers.
Sales at department stores fell 1.3 percent despite the 10.2 percent expansion in demand for home appliances that was offset by lower sales in other sectors.
Online retailer sales increased 4.4 percent on demand for food and electronic devices, which posted a double-digit increase in sales last month.
