SOUTH KOREA. Duty-free sales nationwide (excluding inflight retail) fell -9.5% year-on-year (but rose +3.1% month-on-month) to KRW1,085,415,859,872 (US$779,753,202), according to newly released Korea Duty Free Association figures.
This was despite a +7.1% increase year-on-year in customer numbers to 2,530,544 (-1.6% month-on-month).
June sales to foreigners fell -13.2% year-on-year (+6.2% month-on-month) to KRW22,331,046,276 (US$590,755,387) on a customer base up +19.1% to 969,534.
Sales to Koreans rose +4.4% year-on-year (-5.5% month-on-month) to KRW263,084,813,596 (US$188,997,814) on customer numbers that edged ahead +0.8% year-on-year (-3.3% month-on-month) to 1,561,010.
Downtown duty-free sales (dominated by foreign shoppers) fell -15.3% year-on-year (+4.6% month-on-month) to KRW811,528,718,143 (US$582,995,089).
International airport departures duty-free sales (split evenly between Korean and foreign shoppers) rose sharply year-on-year, up +20.1% to KRW225,961,166,608 (US$162,328,513), marginally down (-1.0%) month-on-month. ✈
