Retail sales rise 8.2 pct in Jan. on robust online performance | Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) — Retail sales in South Korea advanced 8.2 percent on-year in January following the robust performance of online platforms, the industry ministry said Tuesday. The combined sales of 25 major offline and online retailers came to 15.7 trillion won (US$11.78 billion) last month, compared with 14.5 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Offline store sales edged down 0.3 percent last month, as the Lunar New Year holiday fell in February this year, in contrast to 2023, when it occurred in January. Sales from department stores gained 0.7 percent, driven by imported luxury goods. Convenience stores also saw their sales move up 6.1 percent over…