The number of franchise outlets in South Korea rose more than 9 percent in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic, but their sales dropped for the first time since 2013, data showed Monday.

Franchise stores numbered 235,709 as of end-December last year, up 9.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

Food and beverage franchise outlets expanded at double-digit numbers as demand for home delivery services grew sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.

Annualized growth rates were 18.5 percent for "gimbab," seaweed rice rolls with vegetables, and snack outlets, 16.5 percent for Korean food stores, 16.4 percent for coffee and nonalcoholic shops, and 15.9 percent for pizza and hamburger stores.

The number of chicken franchise stores increased 7.7 percent in 2020 from a year earlier.

But their revenue declined on-year for the first time in seven years in 2020 due to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Combined sales of those franchise outlets came to 74.4 trillion won ($62.7 billion) last year, down 0.3 percent from a year earlier, with per-store revenue also falling 9 percent to 316 million won.

It marked the first on-year decrease since 2012, when data tracking began.

Those franchise stores had a combined workforce of 802,501 as of the end of December last year, down 5.2 percent from a year earlier and the first annualized drop since 2013. (Yonhap)