Online retail sales jump nearly 12% in 2025 on improved consumer sentiment

Revenue of online retail platforms increased 11.8 percent from a year earlier in 2025, thanks to a rebound in domestic consumption, government data showed Wednesday.

Major online retail companies saw continued growth in sales across most of the sectors, including groceries, food delivery services, home appliances and others, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.

Offline retailers, however, saw limited growth in revenue of 0.4 percent due to their poor performance in the first half.

The ministry said offline retail companies posted a decrease in sales in the first half, but their sales rebounded in the second half after the Lee Jae Myung administration set sail and implemented policies aimed at boosting domestic consumption.

In detail, department stores posted a 4.3 percent increase in sales in 2025, while yearly sales of convenience stores remained almost unchanged and those of supermarkets contracted 4.2 percent amid heightened competition with online grocery platforms.