Coupang to Solidify Online Market Share with Same-Day Grocery Delivery

Coupang launched a same-day service that would allow customers who ordered among 8,500 fresh food items before 10 a.m. to receive them by 6 p.m.

The food options include fish, meat, and fruits.

The company uses an artificial intelligence-backed logistics system for its Rocket Delivery centers nationwide, which as of last year, counts at 168.

While Coupang has been operating its Rocket Delivery Service for dawn overnight deliveries since October 2018, it found the need for the same-day service as demands for online grocery shopping soared over the past months.

It was Coupang's overnight delivery that allowed it to dominate the local online retail market during the pandemic, getting a 24.6 percent share based on the volume of transactions from January 1 to March 7, up 18.1 percent from last year.

With orders averaging 3 million daily since late January, Coupang has increased its lead over eBay Korea and other players.

Transactions made on Coupang are valued at 1.6 trillion won in February, eBay Korea's sales amounting close to 1.4 trillion won.