Sales at both discount outlet chains and department stores here rose from a year earlier last month, continuing their positive growth for a second straight month, the government said Sunday.

The combined sales of three major department store chains grew 3.1 percent from the same month last year in April, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The rise followed a 1.3 percent on-year gain in April. The three department store chains are Hyundai, Lotte and Shinsegae.

The increase was partly attributed to a rise in sales of clothing, but largely to an increase in the number of operating days for department stores in May, which rose by four days from the same month last year.

The overall number of purchases at department stores rose 6 percent on-year while the average amount of each purchase slipped 2.7 percent.

In May, the combined sales of the country's three major discount outlet chains inched up 0.5 percent on-year, still marking an improvement from the previous month when their sales had remained unchanged from a year earlier.

The increase was again largely attributed to the rise in the number of working days.

Overall sales of discount outlet chains gained 1.6 percent on-year while the average amount of their purchases slipped 0.9 percent.

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

Sales at so-called super supermarkets, mostly run by large retailers, dropped 1 percent on-year in May.

Sales at convenience stores, on the other hand, spiked 31.5 percent on-year. (Yonhap)