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. 

People rest along the Han River flowing through the center of Seoul on Aug. 1, 2017, as sweltering heat hits South Korea. (Yonhap)

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)