SEOUL, July 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's online shopping rose in single digits in May due to strong demand for food and food delivery service, statistical office data showed Tuesday.
Shopping in cyberspace added 0.9 percent to 22.49 trillion won (16.6 billion U.S. dollars) in May compared with the same month of last year, according to Statistics Korea.
Transaction of food and beverage in cyberspace grew 5.6 percent, and demand for agricultural, livestock and fishery products expanded 9.4 percent.
Online demand for food delivery service, mobile devices, and culture and leisure service advanced in double figures, while online purchase of clothing, cosmetics and daily necessities increased in single digits.
Demand for footwear, furniture, home appliances and sports items in cyberspace slipped in single digits, and online transaction of e-coupon service dived 47.1 percent on a weaker trend to provide gifts such as coffee and cake through e-coupons.
Shopping through smartphones, tablets and other mobile gadgets increased 2.9 percent from a year earlier to 17.36 trillion won (12.8 billion dollars) in May, accounting for 77.2 percent of the combined online shopping. ■