Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy 
Maersk Vessel Successfully Transits Red Sea After Nearly Two Years Amid Ongoing Security Concerns 
TikTok U.S. Deal Advances as ByteDance Signs Binding Joint Venture Agreement 
Union-Aligned Investors Question Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet on Trump Immigration Policies 
Volaris and Viva Agree to Merge, Creating Mexico’s Largest Low-Cost Airline Group 
Elon Musk Wins Reinstatement of Historic Tesla Pay Package After Delaware Supreme Court Ruling 
Trump Signals Push for Lower Health Insurance Prices as ACA Premium Concerns Grow 
7-Eleven CEO Joe DePinto to Retire After Two Decades at the Helm 
Elliott Management Takes $1 Billion Stake in Lululemon, Pushes for Leadership Change 
FedEx Beats Q2 Earnings Expectations, Raises Full-Year Outlook Despite Stock Dip 
Citi Appoints Ryan Ellis as Head of Markets Sales for Australia and New Zealand 
Dina Powell McCormick Resigns From Meta Board After Eight Months, May Take Advisory Role 
Nike Shares Slide as Margins Fall Again Amid China Slump and Costly Turnaround 
Google and Apple Warn U.S. Visa Holders to Avoid International Travel Amid Lengthy Embassy Delays 
ANZ New CEO Forgoes Bonus After Shareholders Reject Executive Pay Report 
Micron Technology Forecasts Surge in Revenue and Earnings on AI-Driven Memory Demand 
Harris Associates Open to Revised Paramount Skydance Bid for Warner Bros Discovery 
In a significant shift in South Korea's retail landscape, Coupang has emerged as the leading retail brand, outpacing the long-standing E-Mart. According to BrandStock's latest quarterly evaluation, Coupang secured a brand stock top index (BSTI) score of 902.8, propelling it to 9th among the top 100 brands in South Korea for the first quarter of 2023.
Korea Bizwire reported that E-Mart, the former retail giant, slid to the 12th in the rankings.
Rise of Coupang and Decline of E-Mart
Coupang's remarkable ascent is underlined by its achievement of reporting an annual profit of 617.4 billion won in 2022, merely 13 years after its establishment. The company's Wow loyalty program has seen a surge in membership, growing from 9 million in 2021 to 14 million. On the other hand, E-Mart faced a setback, with sales trailing behind Coupang at approximately 29 trillion won last year. The company incurred its first annual deficit as a public entity due to declining revenue and a perceived lack of fresh growth drivers.
The Shift Towards Online Retail
BrandStock analysts noted the paradigm shift in South Korea's retail market, with online-focused retailers like Coupang gaining prominence. This transformation marks a departure from the conventional offline-centric retail ecosystem. The analysts predict that online-centric retailers will likely dominate the market in the foreseeable future.
Beyond the retail sector, the evaluation showcased resilience in industries hit hard by the pandemic, such as travel. Korean Air rose to the 8th position with a BSTI score of 903.1, while Hanatour climbed to 28th as the impacts of COVID-19 waned.
MSN reported that Coupang Corp. announced an ambitious investment of $2.23 billion over the next three years to expand its "rocket delivery" service nationwide. The company plans to establish over eight fulfillment centers to enhance operational efficiency and reliability through advanced automation.
Photo: Coupang Website
