Masks are displayed in GS25, one of Korea's convenience store brandsGS25
Sales of masks, Covid-19 test kits and cold medicine are rising at convenience stores in Korea amid signs of a resurgence in the respiratory infection, as more consumers rushto stock up on products to protect themselves.
The Covid-19 virus detection rate in Korea reached 9.1 percent in the second week of August, nearly 2.8 times the level three weeks earlier, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday.
The number of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospitals also increased 2.4-fold over the past month.
Cases have risen sharply in neighboring China as well. China recorded 522,000 new Covid-19 cases last month, about 6.6 times the 79,000 cases reported in June, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The country recorded 487 severe cases and one death.
The rise in infections has led togrowing sales of Covid-related products at convenience stores this month.
At GS25, sales of Covid-19 self-test kits rose 50.3 percent between Aug. 1 and Thursday compared to the same period a month earlier. Mask sales increased 10.3 percent, and sales of cold medicine climbed 8.8 percent.
Sales of masks for infants and children jumped 204.4 percent over the same period, the largest increase among the products. Since the change of seasons coincided with the start of the new school semester, the increase seems to reflect the demand from households with children.
People pass by convenience stores on a street in SeoulNEWS1
7-Eleven also saw sales of Covid-19 test kits rise 93 percent between Aug. 1 and Thursday from the same period a month earlier. Sales of masks and cold medicine increased 17 percent and 19 percent, respectively.
At CU, sales of test kits increased 45.7 percent between Aug. 1 and Sunday compared to the same period a month earlier, while cold medicine sales rose 12.2 percent at the same time.
Convenience stores tend to see demand for disease-prevention products emerge quickly during outbreaks, as they are easily approachable for consumers to buy such items.
"If the spread of Covid-19 continues, demand for masks and over-the-counter medicine could rise further particularly among children and teenagers, as the new school semester begins," a retail industry insider said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
