- Registration date2026-10-28
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Attached file
Press Release_MOTIR_Major Retailer Sales Rise 4.5 Percent in September.pdf [144.4 KB]
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) announced that total sales at 26 major retailers (15 offline retailers and 11 online retailers) rose 4.5 percent year-on-year in September 2026, with offline sales up 5.1 percent and online sales up 4.0 percent.
With Chuseok falling earlier than last year, sales of holiday gift sets and items for ancestral rites remained strong during the holiday period. Sales growth was led by food (up 6.3 percent) and the services/other category (up 7.3 percent), including grocery shopping services.
Offline sales increased across all retail formats, including hypermarkets (up 4.0 percent), department stores (up 8.4 percent), convenience stores (up 2.9 percent), and super supermarkets (SSMs, up 5.0 percent).
Hypermarket sales grew for a second consecutive month, led by food (up 4.3 percent), home appliances and toys (up 5.8 percent), and clothing (up 11.2 percent). The earlier Chuseok holiday boosted sales of holiday foods, dishes for ancestral rites, and gifts. The number of transactions also edged up 0.5 percent after six consecutive months of declines. Department store sales of food, including holiday gift sets, rose 13.0 percent. Clothing sales also grew as more consumers shopped for autumn apparel, with women's casual wear up 15.2 percent and men's clothing up 8.7 percent.
Convenience store sales of processed food rose 5.9 percent as more single-person households sought convenience foods during the holiday period. At SSMs, demand for items for Chuseok ancestral rites lifted food sales, led by agricultural, livestock, and fishery products (up 10.0 percent).
Online food sales continued to grow, rising 6.7 percent, driven by holiday demand. Sales in the services/other category (up 10.6 percent) also increased as demand for grocery shopping services rose.
In September 2026, online retailers accounted for 59.5 percent of total sales, followed by convenience stores (14.9 percent), department stores (14.4 percent), hypermarkets (9.1 percent), and SSMs (2.1 percent).