Online Shopping Malls

SEOUL, Dec. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korean online shopping malls saw sales decline 9.5 percent in October from the previous month on seasonal factors, a government report showed Wednesday.

E-commerce transactions came to 1.08 trillion won (US$1.17 billion) in October, compared with 1.19 trillion won the previous month, according to the report compiled by the National Statistical Office.

On an annual basis, however, online sales shot up nearly 15 percent in October, the office said.

The fall on a monthly basis is attributed to less demand for agricultural products and other health-related goods after Chuseok, Korea's fall harvest holiday, which fell on Oct. 5-7 this year, it said.

There were 13 more cyber-shopping malls in October than in the previous month, bringing the overall number to 4,518, according to the report.

(CBS 42) Many people are members of frequent flyer program or have credit cards that earn airline or hotel points. Now, there's a way to speed up those travel plans by shopping online. Leigh Witchel's a pro at using rewards points when he travels. On his last trip, he saved big. "I paid for the plane fare, which was business class with points and miles and I paid also for my hotel in Russia that way," Witchel said.Witchel racked up rewards by using a new shopping program for travelers. Many airlines and several hotel chains are now partnering with retailers and setting up online shopping malls on their own Web sites. "These online shopping malls are a great idea for building points when you're not traveling," said Laura MacNeil with Budget Travel Magazine.MacNeil says major names like The Gap, Circuit City, Barnes and Noble and many more are all on board."I�ve shopped at several different stores from fabric stores, to clothing stores to book stores," Witchel said.

CLEVELAND -- The malls can be crazy during the holiday season with long checkout lines and little parking. But cyberspace is great spot to start your shopping.