Amid the spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, an increasing number of people change the way they shop towards online.
The online sales of major discount stores, which have been on the rise thanks to the mobile shopping boom, got an added boost by MERS, rising by 50-60 percent since the burst of the coronavirus.
According to E-Mart on June 15, the sales of its online E-Mart mall rose 63.1 percent year on year during the period from June 1 to 15, with the number of orders rising by 51.9 percent year on year.
By item, the sales of simple home-style meals jumped 90.1 percent, followed by produce with 83 percent and processed foods with 69.9 percent. The sales of overall food items rose 77.4 percent compared to a year ago.
In addition, the sales of household items and fashion/recreational sports items also jumped 47.6 percent and 41.8 percent, respectively.
Another discount store HomePlus also enjoyed a 48.1-percent and 37.5-percent growth in online sales and order volume during the same period.