Online shopping transactions in South Korea reached KRW 18.4 trillion in June 2023, showing a 7.7% increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, mobile transactions accounted for KRW 13.4 trillion, reflecting a 5.8% growth.
However, compared to the previous month, online shopping transactions decreased by 4.2%, with mobile shopping declining by 5.9%. Mobile transactions still dominated the online shopping market, making up 73.0% of the total transaction amount.
Looking at specific product categories, online shopping transactions for travel and transportation services (30.4%), groceries (14.8%), and e-coupons (46.7%) experienced growth compared to the same month last year. On the other hand, clothing (-10.8%) and travel and transportation services (-6.4%) saw a decline compared to the previous month.
Regarding the scope of online shopping, comprehensive shopping malls witnessed a 6.4% increase, and specialty malls showed a 9.8% increase compared to the same period last year. However, both types of malls experienced a decline compared to the previous month, with comprehensive malls down by 5.9% and specialty malls down by 1.4%.
In terms of operational formats, online malls saw a 6.8% increase, while online and offline hybrid malls saw a 10.7% increase in online shopping transactions compared to the same period last year. However, both types of malls recorded a decrease in transactions compared to the previous month, with online malls down by 4.8% and online and offline hybrid malls down by 2.2%.
Regarding online overseas direct sales and purchases, the 2nd/4th quarter of 2023 saw a decrease of 10.3% in online overseas direct sales, amounting to KRW 453.6 billion. Among countries and continents, China had the highest sales at KRW 309.2 billion, followed by the United States at KRW 60 billion, and Japan at KRW 51.5 billion. Among product categories, cosmetics amounted to KRW 298.8 billion, clothing and fashion-related products at KRW 65.7 billion, and music, video, and musical instruments at KRW 32.2 billion. Notably, duty-free sales accounted for KRW 281.2 billion, representing 62.0% of the total.
In contrast, online overseas direct purchases reached KRW 1.635 trillion, showing a significant increase of 25.6% compared to the same period last year. China, the United States, and the European Union were the top three countries in terms of purchases, with KRW 777.8 billion, KRW 469.6 billion, and KRW 156.2 billion, respectively. Product-wise, clothing and fashion-related items accounted for KRW 756.7 billion, food and groceries at KRW 382.6 billion, and household and automotive goods at KRW 92.7 billion.
These trends provide valuable insights for the South Korean online retail industry, highlighting the continued growth of mobile transactions and the importance of international markets in both sales and purchases.