SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korean consumers' purchase using smartphones in the cyberspace hit a new record high in July on the rising number of mobile payment services, a government report said Wednesday.
Mobile shopping reached 7.2 trillion won (6 billion U.S. dollars) in July, up 21.5 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea. It was the biggest since the statistical office began compiling the data in 2013.
It was attributable to the increased mobile payment services, which encouraged consumers to purchase goods and services using smartphones.
Food delivery services through smartphones surged 87 percent in July from a year ago, with purchases of cosmetics and food and beverage posting a double-digit expansion in the month.
The online shopping, which includes purchases using smartphones and personal computers, advanced 15.4 percent over the year to 11.2 trillion won (9.3 billion U.S. dollars) in July.
It was the biggest July figure since the relevant data began to be compiled in 2001.
The online shopping accounted for 21.4 percent of the total retail sale in July, the second-biggest proportion ever recorded. Enditem