Sales at South Korea’s large retail outlets declined on-year in July on sluggish demand for clothes and outdoor products, government data showed Tuesday.

According to the data by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, sales at major retail outlets dropped 4.6 percent last month from the same period a year earlier.

The decline is due in part to lessened demand for summer clothes and products related to outdoor activities.

Sales of clothing, including swimsuits, shrank 9.7 percent, while those of outdoor products fell 7.5 percent, the data showed.

Sales at department stores, meanwhile, grew 2 percent in July from a year earlier. The rise stemmed mostly from increased sales of wedding gifts such as watches and high-priced clothing, the ministry said. (Yonhap)