Covid-19 fears return in South Korea as mask, test kit sales surge
RISING Covid-19 infections in South Korea are reviving pandemic-era shopping habits, with people once again stocking up on masks, self-test kits and cold medicines. The Korean Herald reported on Sunday that the country's three major convenience s...
South Korea's convenience store chains observed a significant surge in sales of Covid-19-related products as schools reopened, reigniting pandemic-era shopping habits. Convenience store colossus 7-Eleven reported a 62% increase in sales of self-test kits and a 17% rise in mask sales between August 1 and August 26, compared to the previous month.
Mask sales for children and infants saw particularly strong demand, with a staggering 341% increase. GS25 reported a 30.3% rise in self-test kit sales and a 10.3% increase in cold medicine sales over the same period. The trend was similar at CU, with self-test kit sales jumping 45.7% and cold medicine purchases increasing 12.2% compared to the same period a month earlier.
The latest surge in Covid-19 infections has prompted consumers to revive shopping habits that became standard during the pandemic. South Korea's Covid-19 detection rate reached 9.1% between August 9 and August 15, nearly three times the 3.2% recorded three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations for Covid-19 patients at general hospitals also increased by 2.4 times during the same period.
As schools resume, industry sources expect demand for test kits, masks, and cold medicine to remain robust for some time, with the change of seasons likely to further boost sales.
Written by urgent.news from The Vibes's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
