Sales at South Korea's major discount outlet chains dropped from a year earlier last month while sales at department stores continued to grow, the government said Monday.

Combined sales of the three major discount outlet chains here dropped 5.3 percent on-year in September, posting a on-year drop for the third consecutive month since July, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The ministry attributed the drop partly to a radiation scare sparked by the nuclear accident at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant in March 2011 that has also pulled down overall consumption of fishery products here.

Sales of foodstuff, including seafood, at the three discount outlet chains dropped 7.5 percent on-year last month with sales of clothing also slipping 7.1 percent, according to the ministry.

The three discount outlet chains are Lotte Mart, E-Mart and Homeplus.

Sales at the country's three major department store chains, on the other hand, rose 2.8 percent on-year as the total number of purchases at the department stores gained 3.4 percent, the ministry said. The three department store chains are Hyundai, Shinsegae and Lotte.

The number of purchases at discount outlets dropped 5.9 percent on-year though the average amount of each purchase inched up 0.6 percent.

Sales at convenience stores surged 10.3 percent on-year with those at the so-called super supermarkets plunged 9.7 percent, according to the ministry. (Yonhap News)