In brief
In September, online retail in South Korea reached 24.97 trillion won, climbing 4.1% over the prior year. The sharp increase was driven by a 30.9% rise in automobile sales and a 4% jump in food‑delivery spending, while mobile device sales accounted for 76.4% of all transactions. These figures underscore the shifting buying habits toward mobile shopping and high‑ticket items.
Online shopping sales in South Korea increased 4.1 percent in September from a year earlier, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics and reported by Yonhap.
The value of all online retail transactions in the month was 24.97 trillion won (about US$18.7 billion), up 975.8 billion won from the same period in 2025.
Automobile purchases led the surge, with spending on cars and related products jumping 30.9 percent year‑on‑year to 1.27 trillion won.
Food‑delivery services also saw growth, rising 4 percent to 3.78 trillion won in September.
Spending on cosmetic products climbed 12.2 percent to 1.29 trillion won, adding another high‑ticket segment to the overall increase.
Purchases made through smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices rose 5.4 percent to 19.08 trillion won, comprising 76.4 percent of total online sales—an increase of one percentage point from a year earlier.
The data highlight the continued importance of mobile shopping and high‑value purchases in South Korea’s e‑commerce market, suggesting that consumers are increasingly turning to online platforms for both everyday items and larger, more expensive goods.
