Korea food online shopping hit 4,891,200,000,000 won in August
Online shopping transactions for food reached 4,891,200,000,000 won in August, accounting for 20.2% of the total online shopping market, foodtoday.or.kr reported.
Online Shopping Totals and Category Splits in August
Total online shopping transactions for August stood at 24,211,800,000,000 won, marking a 7.3% increase compared to the same month last year, according to data released on October 1 by the National Data Agency and reported by foodtoday.or.kr. When compared to July, however, the overall transaction value decreased by 3.6%. Mobile shopping transactions reached 18,902,100,000,000 won, a 5.8% rise from the previous year. Mobile purchases made up 78.1% of total online shopping in August, down 1.1 percentage points from 79.2% in August of last year.
Food and daily necessities drove substantial activity across digital storefronts. General food and beverage transactions hit 3,543,000,000,000 won, representing a 9.8% increase year-over-year and taking a 14.6% share of total online transactions. Agricultural, livestock, and fishery products saw an even sharper upward trajectory, climbing 15.4% from the previous year to 1,348,200,000,000 won. Food services also continued an upward path, recording 3,967,700,000,000 won in transactions—a 7.6% increase that accounts for 16.4% of the total market. Travel and transportation services added 3,278,400,000,000 won, up 8.7% from a year earlier.
Mobile Dominance in Food and Delivery Services
Mobile platforms captured the vast majority of food service orders and a growing share of grocery purchases in August. Mobile food service transactions increased by 7.9% year-over-year to reach 3,931,200,000,000 won, accounting for 99.1% of all online food service transactions. Mobile food and beverage transactions grew 7.8% to 2,896,800,000,000 won, while mobile agricultural, livestock, and fishery product orders surged 18.4% to 1,117,800,000,000 won. Total mobile food transactions across all categories reached 4,014,500,000,000 won, representing 21.2% of total mobile shopping volume.
Different product categories experienced contrasting monthly momentum. While food services rose 1.9% compared to July, other retail sectors contracted significantly, with home appliances and electronics dropping 22.2% and clothing falling 19.3%. Online shopping channels showed steady parallel growth across operational formats, with comprehensive malls posting 12,865,500,000,000 won in transactions—up 7.4%—and specialty malls growing 7.1% to 11,346,300,000,000 won. Purely online stores generated 18,757,700,000,000 won, a 6.9% increase, while businesses operating both online and offline outlets grew 8.6% to 5,454,100,000,000 won.
The National Data Agency compiles these monthly statistics from approximately 1,100 non-financial online shopping operators using internet, mobile, computer-assisted telephone, and in-person interviews to guide government policy, business planning, and industry research.
Disclaimer: The views and cultural analyses presented in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only. Information regarding legal disputes or financial data is based on available public records.