South Korea’s online retail market reached 24.97 trillion won in September 2026, driven by vehicle and grocery demand, even as overseas direct purchases dropped for the second straight quarter. Concurrently, overseas direct sales surged 40.7% in the third quarter on booming demand for K-beauty and Korean cultural products.
The latest online shopping data for September 2026 released by the National Data Agency reveals a shifting economic landscape where cross-border retail flows are moving in opposite directions. While domestic shoppers pulled back on buying goods from overseas platforms, global consumers turned aggressively toward South Korean goods, pushing export-oriented direct sales to their highest level in six years.
Automotive Strength and Chuseok Demand Propel September Shopping
Total domestic online shopping transactions for the month of September hit 24.97 trillion won, marking a 4.1% increase compared to the same month last year. Although the transaction volume ranks as the fourth-largest on record, the year-over-year growth rate cooled significantly compared to earlier months, following a robust 13.2% increase recorded in March and subsequent readings in the 7% range over the summer.
Data Agency officials attributed the slower growth rate partly to a high statistical base effect from a strong 12.9% expansion in September of the previous year, alongside a shorter Chuseok holiday period that limited festive spending boosts.
It seems that because the growth rate was high in September of last year (12.9%), there is an effect making the growth rate look lower this September. Kwon
Despite the broader cooling trend, specific sectors posted sharp gains. Transactions for automobiles and automotive accessories jumped 30.9% to reach 1.27 trillion won, fueled by heavy demand for imported electric vehicles such as Tesla models and used cars traded online. Food-related categories also expanded under holiday influences, with agricultural, livestock, and fishery products climbing 9.7% to 1.67 trillion won, setting a record transaction amount for the category, according to MoneyToday reporting.
Record-Breaking Overseas Direct Sales Led by K-Beauty and Duty-Free Surges
While domestic buyers trimmed their overseas spending, international consumers drove online direct sales — commonly known as reverse direct-to-consumer trade — to 1.09 trillion won in the third quarter of 2026. This represents a 40.7% surge from the same period a year earlier, marking the highest third-quarter total since 2020 and the strongest growth rate since 2023.
The expansion was heavily concentrated in beauty and cultural goods. Cosmetics accounted for 636.3 billion won, or roughly 58.1% of the total overseas direct sales volume, registering a 47.1% increase year over year. Online duty-free shop sales experienced an explosive 90.5% jump to 371.7 billion won, with cosmetics making up 306 billion won of that figure.
| Product Category | 3rd Quarter Sales (Won) | Year-Over-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics | 636.3 billion | 47.1% |
| Apparel & Fashion | 92.3 billion | N/A |
| Music, Video & Instruments | 84.4 billion | 14.8% |
| Food & Beverages | 44.1 billion | 32.5% |
Geographically, demand broadened beyond traditional strongholds. While China remained the largest destination with 432 billion won in purchases representing a 62.3% increase, sales grew significantly in North America, Southeast Asia, and Europe, supported by rising exports and physical retail footprints such as CJ OliveYng expanding offline stores abroad.
Historic Back-to-Back Declines in Overseas Direct Purchases
In stark contrast to booming export sales, South Korean consumers cut back on inbound online direct purchases from foreign platforms. Third-quarter direct purchases fell 6.3% to 1.98 trillion93 billion won, following a 2.7% decline in the second quarter.
Data Agency records show this marks the first time since tracking began in 2014 that inbound direct purchases have dropped for two consecutive quarters. Analysts pointed to persistent high exchange rates through the second and third quarters, alongside a waning price competitiveness among aggressive Chinese e-commerce platforms that had previously dominated inbound retail growth.
Declines hit major sourcing nations directly. Purchases from China dropped 9.1% to 1.28 trillion860 billion won, while US-origin purchases fell 11.1% to 309.4 billion won. Conversely, purchases originating from Japan bucked the trend, rising 32.4% to 198.9 billion won.
Mobile Shopping Dominance and Shifting Trade Deficits
Mobile transactions continued to capture a larger share of domestic retail activity, accounting for 19.08 trillion846 million won or 76.4% of total online shopping in September. This reflects a 1.0 percentage point increase in mobile share compared to the same month last year. Certain service sectors were almost entirely mobile-driven, with food delivery services recording a 99.1% mobile transaction share and e-coupon services reaching 92.2%.
The widening divergence between rising export sales and contracting import purchases narrowed the cross-border online trade gap. The deficit between total direct purchase import values and direct sales export values shrank by nearly 450 billion won year over year during the third quarter, dropping to 894.9 billion won as K-culture exports rebalanced the retail equation.