Online Purchases from Overseas Retailers Rebound

Published on 2017/01/22 | Source

Purchases from foreign-based online retailers rebounded last year after retreating in 2015. Shoppers spent US$1.63 billion on online purchases last year, up 7 percent on-year, the Korea Customs Service said on Thursday.

Amid skyrocketing consumer prices at home, they appear to be seeking cheaper alternatives abroad.

Retailers from the U.S. continued to be favored by Korean shoppers, accounting for a whopping 65 percent of the goods purchased, but the figure has declined from 75 percent in 2013 as shoppers have turned to other countries such as China and Europe.

By product type, health supplements were the most popular goods, accounting for 20 percent of purchases, followed by cosmetics (16 percent), confectionery (14 percent), and clothing (12 percent).