Coupang Is Expanding to Japan and Singapore: Here’s What It Means for the Stock The Motley Fool

what is coupang

I mention these population numbers because Coupang’s value proposition relies on it operating in large, densely populated urban centers like Seoul. The company has built an end-to-end logistics network with its own warehouses, delivery drivers, and technology systems that allows it to offer one and same-day delivery to most of its members on its e-commerce marketplace. This owned network within these urban centers also allows Coupang to add services on top of its core e-commerce offering, like food and grocery delivery. How to buy hex Expect it to try to replicate this model if/when it launches in these new markets.

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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 atfx trading platform had still lingering over my head coming out of this S-1. In its short life, Coupang — which started as a kind of Groupon for South Korea before expanding to an e-commerce marketplace within its first three years — upended competition in the country. The company quickly raised $300 million in 2014, largely from U.S. investors, followed by $3 billion in 2015 and 2018 from SoftBank. Those investments allowed Coupang to balloon into a 50,000-employee business in 11 years.

Internet shopping South Korea

what is coupang

“Coupang should be careful to not completely damage its relationship with the brands,” said Martin. A March 2021 IPO on the New York Stock Exchange raised $3.4 billion in working capital. Coupang was portrayed as a ‘white knight’ when it rescued Farfetch from near collapse with a $500 million loan, but the shine started to wear off the deal as major luxury groups like Kering ended their partnerships with the luxury marketplace. After the takeover, the departure of Farfetch founder José Neves and eight C-suite executives left Coupang’s chief executive Bom Kim with the difficult task of steering Farfetch back on track.

Farfetch Investors Form Group to Oppose Coupang Acquisition

Kim weighed the possibility of taking Coupang public several years ago but later pulled out of the process right as it readied “to go to the printers.” Kim chose instead to focus on growing the business. SoftBank’s heavy losses could put pressure on its portfolio companies to go public, especially as the IPO market appears to be showing some life after the coronavirus pandemic. SoftBank has bet billions on start-ups around the world, such as the troubled co-working company WeWork (now branded The We Company), Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing and its American rival Uber. But the Japanese conglomerate’s investment model has been called into question recently after The We Company’s failed IPO and Uber’s valuation plummeted. In May the Vision Fund reported staggering losses of $18 billion, while SoftBank Group had losses of $13 billion. Notably, Goodwater’s research found that shoppers are more likely to return and spend money on Coupang than other e-commerce sites — not just compared to its South Korean competitors, but also other major e-commerce players around the world.

  1. Boot Barn says its larger U.S. footprint is helping to propel sales forward.
  2. Founder José Neves and eight other c-suite executives are departing the luxury marketplace, which faces an uncertain future under its new owner.
  3. But “everything stores” have a spotty track record when it comes to high-end retail.

The New York-listed South Korean e-commerce company that acquired Farfetch in January released its first quarter results this month. It marked the first time that losses from the troubled London-based luxury marketplace were included in its financial statement. Coupang’s quarterly revenue increased 23 percent to $7.1 billion but net income plunged 95 percent to just $5 million.

Kim founded Coupang in May 2010 as a discount-oriented service with some Groupon-like features. But it soon evolved into a more conventional e-commerce platform, directly purchasing products from third parties and selling them to end customers. Kim wanted to turn the business into a logistics-driven online ecosystem. But where Coupang will really grow is in revenue per active customer, which is a metric it provides to show how existing users are increasing their dedication to the business over time. In Q3 of this year, revenue per active customer hit $276, up 23% year over year, a big contributor to Coupang’s overall revenue growth of 48% in the period. When looking at an unprofitable business like Coupang, I like to estimate what revenue and gross profit could look like five years from now.

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While the company has made significant investments in infrastructure, these investments create long-term competitive advantages. High entry barriers mean that any new entrant would face significant costs to replicate Coupang’s logistics scale, and they would still have to win over Coupang’s loyal customer base. Coupang, Inc, together with its subsidiaries owns and operates retail More Money Than God business through its mobile applications and Internet websites primarily in South Korea.

Coupang’s business model revolves around its proprietary “Rocket Delivery” system, offering same-day and next-day delivery for orders received by midnight, with packages often delivered by 7 a.m. This fast delivery is possible due to Coupang’s extensive logistics network, which includes over 100 fulfillment centers across South Korea. The strategic placement of these centers allows Coupang to reach 70% of the South Korean population within a 7-mile radius.

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