By Kim Se-jeong
The rising fear of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) changed the weekend plans of many across the country.
Many places, such as movie theaters and shopping malls, saw a significant drop in visitors. Many people chose to stay at home, navigating online malls for their shopping needs.
Revenues at retail chain stores fell dramatically. According to the association of retail chain companies, the revenue decline was more evident during the weekend.
In particular, E-mart stores in Dongtan and Pyeongtaek ― the very first patient was treated at Pyeongtaek St. Mary’s Hospital ― Gyeonggi Province saw their revenues drop by 18 and 12 percent, respectively, compared with the weekend before.
Another chain, Home plus also saw its revenue dip by 3 to 4 percent.
Outdoor activity venues also suffered.
On Saturday, Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul attracted 12,301 LG Twins fans for its game, down more than 5,000 from the average number of fans for a weekend game. The story was similar for public parks, mountains and beaches.
Movie theaters were also empty throughout the weekend. Industry insiders said ticket sales last weekend dropped almost 20 percent compared with the previous weekend.
“I was going to go to watch a movie with my daughter, but decided not to because of MERS,” Lee Kyung-soon, a Seoul resident, said.
Numbers showed that a lot of these people at home spent times shopping, online or by phone.
According to E-mart Mall, an online shopping outlet, its revenue between June 1-6 rose by almost 60 percent from the previous year. Immune system boosters and diet supplements were popular items, it said.