[THE INVESTOR] The number of men purchasing indoor toys in 2016 rose more than 40 percent from a year ago, industry data showed Aug. 8.

According to the country‘s largest open market website Gmarket, male customers buying indoor toys, such as basketball hoops and miniature baseball sets, between July 22 and Aug. 4 jumped 42 percent on-year.

The number of male customers buying robot toys and card games also jumped nearly 50 percent on-year during the cited period, Gmarket said.

“It looks like customers who are fathers are playing with their children at home during the vacation season due to various factors, such as the economic situation and the general social mood,” a Gmarket official said.

The website also attributed the increased number of male customers to the consistent increase of dual-income households in the country.

()