SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Retail sales in South Korea rose last month as heat wave boosted demand for electronics products, especially air conditioners, a government report showed on Tuesday.
Revenue in major retailers, including department stores and discount outlets, increased 10.8 percent in July from a year earlier, posting the fastest growth in three months, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The ministry attributed the increase to strong demand for air conditioners, caused by the scorching heat during the summer season.
Temperature in the capital Seoul averaged 34.3 degrees Celsius in August, surpassing the previous monthly high of 32.6 degrees tallied in August 1994.
Revenue in discount chain outlets gained 2.1 percent over the year in July. Home appliances sales advanced 9.4 percent, but sports item sales declined 4.5 percent.
Department stores revenue increased 7.0 percent last month on the back of robust demand for portable electric fans. Home appliances sales jumped 11.9 percent.
Convenient store sales climbed 15.4 percent as the number of stores increased 13.3 percent from a year earlier.
