Sales of picnic items increase in July: data

Sales of picnic-related products surged during the peak summer vacation season last month, with more South Koreans opting for one-day trips instead of pitching tents for overnight camping, industry data showed Monday. 

According to the data compiled by the country's largest discount chain E-Mart, the sales of sun shelters rose 6.1 percent in July compared with the same period last year, with the combined sales of mats and blankets also jumping 15 percent on-year. 

The sales of tents, suitable for camping, meanwhile, dropped 28 percent during the cited period, it said.

E-Mart said the sales of picnic supplies have been increasing as more young South Koreans prefer day trips to urban parks to overnight stays. (Yonhap)