S Korea Nov department store sales fall most in two years

Seoul

SALES at South Korea's top department stores fell in November by the fastest pace in nearly two years on an annual basis, official data showed, adding to concerns that Asia's fourth largest economy is losing steam.

Combined sales last month at department stores run by the top three chain operators fell 6.5 per cent from a year earlier, according to industry and energy ministry data on Sunday. That was the biggest decline since January 2013.