In other words, its first- and third-party marketplaces are now nearly profitable on an adjusted EBITDA basis. Second, Coupang continued to ramp up its investments in Rocket Fresh and Coupang Eats, which contributed significantly to an 84% jump in operating expenses during the quarter. First, a warehouse fire caused $158 million in inventory write-offs and $295.5 million in net losses. Excluding the fire, Coupang would have posted a net loss of $223.1 million, or $0.13 per share, and beaten Wall Street’s expectations by a penny. Margins on most third-party products are thin, a problem common to many eCommerce retailers. The latter is the preferred method for most, with mobile applications accounting for 75% of total sales.

It’s all a guessing game, but the characteristics are all in place for another positive growth to happen for Coupang. We also discovered that Coupang expected to enter the stock market at a lower price per share than it received. When you’re dealing with 130 million shares a few dollars one way or the other makes a tremendous difference. Analysts estimated that the reason for the price increase is because there is only one e-commerce company in the country of South Korea, and it’s Coupang.

• This is one of the ways that Coupang shows its customer-centric side.
• I’m not saying that I’ve ever done this, but I can easily see someone just buying one item for delivery in the morning and doing that day after day, after day.
• A recent study by KPMG found Coupang to have a 25% to 60% average price advantage compared to major competitors for top selling items across the categories surveyed.
• Analysts further ventured that part of the reason for the rise in Coupang’s sales and its current rate of growth is a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic.

They actually implement innovative technologies in almost everything. From big data to logistics, all aimed at improving the buyers’ shopping experience. Coupang is majority-owned by venture capital and private equity funds with a 54% stake. To order goods online, Coupang users must visit what makes a good trader the company website on either desktop or mobile. Advertising is seen on almost every page of the Coupang website, allowing businesses to access their target audience across various touchpoints. Here, the company charges 2,900 South Korean won ($2.50) each month after a 30-day free trial.

Coupang revenue generation

A recent study by KPMG found Coupang to have a 25% to 60% average price advantage compared to major competitors for top selling items across the categories surveyed. The business model of Coupang categorizes its revenue as (1) net retail sales and (2) net other revenue. Coupang operates the only major payment experience in its home market, supporting a “one-tap” experience without additional verification. Coupang’s fully integrated payments service offers a seamless app purchase experience, enabling customers to shop and pay without needing a fingerprint, facial scan, or password verification. Korea is the fourth largest economy in Asia and the twelfth largest globally as of 2022, with a gross domestic product (“GDP”) of $1.8 trillion and GDP per capita of $32,730. Total spending in Korea’s retail, grocery, consumer food service, and travel was $470 billion in 2019 and is expected to increase to $534 billion in 2024.

In May the Vision Fund reported staggering losses of $18 billion, while SoftBank Group had losses of $13 billion. In recent months Coupang has weathered its fair share of challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. While they were asked to stay home, millions of South Koreans turned to online shopping more than before to order essentials like face masks and hand sanitizer.

• The response was overwhelming with a total of $4.55 billion raised at its initial public offering.
• According to CNBC, Coupang recently filed its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.
• It’s brand new to the market and only time will tell how well it will perform.
• Coupang has built a business model to address these tradeoffs and transform the customer experience.
• Channels for Coupang include their user-friendly mobile app and website, making shopping at Coupang accessible to customers via multiple devices.

The size and reach of this logistics network is impressive, with the company noting that 70% of its customers live within ten minutes of one of its more than 100 distribution centers. Key Resources include Coupang’s massive inventory and warehousing capabilities, its advanced technology infrastructure, and a sizable workforce. Running an e-commerce platform also requires strong cybersecurity measures to ensure customer data is protected and prevent fraud. Arguably, what is more important than Coupang’s absolute gross margin is the relative change in gross margin over time.

But active customers only grew 18% in 2020, and they provided zero color about why active customer growth slowed nearly in half year-over-year, during the time period when I guess I would have expected it to grow. Maybe I’m missing something in the picture, maybe I should be able to draw some conclusions there that I’m just simply overlooking. But that was one of the big questions I had still lingering over my head coming out of this S-1. South Korea is one of the world’s fastest-growing e-commerce markets, projected to become the third largest in the world this year, behind​ only​ China and the United States.

Where is Coupang headed next?

It has grown exponentially in the last couple years without any sign of stopping soon. Like many other e-commerce companies, Coupang’s growth is decelerating as it faces tougher year-over-year comparisons to the pandemic. However, let’s assume investors warm up to Coupang again and bump its P/S ratio up to ten. If that happens, Coupang’s annual revenue would need to rise at a CAGR of 23.5% between 2020 and 2030 to $100 billion to make it a $1 trillion stock.

So to me that’s not the greatest business to be in, but for them because, again, this is a compressed company, a country with really dense cities, it is a sustainable business model in the long term. It’s just getting it right, so that there is a humane balance for the freelancers who are taking these deliveries for them to be able to earn a decent living without risking their lives. Similar to Rocket Delivery, Rocket Fresh delivers fresh foods overnight.

What does FedEx do How does FedEx work Business Model

Coupang reimagined the e-commerce experience with its Rocket Delivery service that promises faster deliveries, a vast selection, low prices, and easy returns. Coupang has built a business model to address these tradeoffs and transform the customer experience. Coupang is centered on building an end-to-end integrated technology and infrastructure system to deliver a superior customer experience, launch new offerings, and offer effective merchant solutions. Coupang has been on the move with a forward trajectory practically since its inception. As a part of its expansion of goods and services, it purchased a company called HOOQ. When Coupang completed the acquisition, it developed its streaming service that it calls Coupang Play.

Related Business Models

Since its founding in 2010, Coupang has become a dominant force in South Korean commerce, largely thanks to its lightning-fast delivery speeds. Coupang has expanded its market share throughout the pandemic, nearly doubling its revenue in 2020 to $12 billion, according to company filings. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool’s premium services. “What has made Coupang’s rocket delivery possible was its massive employment and investment,” the company said in a statement. Long before e-commerce arrived, South Korea already had a vibrant delivery culture.

Coupang’s doing a better job of serving its customers

In addition to providing e-commerce goods, the firm also delivers food and groceries. Experts in forecasting market growth and activity believe that we’re just seeing the first massive increase in Coupang’s traffic. Expert financial analysts believe that there is going to e yet more growth within South Korea and that the current trading strategy market share of 24 percent is going to increase for Coupang. It wouldn’t surprise any of them to see the company continue to increase that market share figure over the next two to three years to up to thirty percent or higher. It’s the same trajectory that stimulated the increase of the IPO over previous estimates.

The company’s name is a mix of the English word “coupon” and “pang,” the Korean sound for hitting the jackpot. AMZ Advisers is a full-service eCommerce consultancy focused on creating growth opportunities for Brands / Manufacturers / Private labels across the US, Europe, Canada, and Asia. Our team of 45+ talented individuals has come together to drive sales for brands worldwide since 2014. Although Coupang is making great efforts to continue growing as a business, there hasn’t been much expansion in other countries, but this might be just a matter of time. Coupang has become one of the largest ecommerce companies in the world.

A key difference is that Coupang is currently fulfilling orders directly, instead of sending couriers to stores or restaurants. The company quickly managed the deluge of orders and not only maintained qatar world cup stocks service levels but also improved them in some areas, Coupang said. As order volume surged, it expanded overnight and same-day delivery to more items, like consumables and fresh food.