Delivery Platform Users Decline for Second Consecutive Month

45,000 Fewer Baemin Users This Year... Yogiyo and Coupang Eats Also Plummet
Impact of Increased Dining Out with With-Corona, Also Due to Delivery Fee Hikes

Delivery platform users have been continuously decreasing this year. Although the decline is slight, it is a stark contrast to last year’s sharp rise, which was closely linked to the spread of COVID-19. Among self-employed food service operators who had focused on delivery, concerns about the decrease in orders are emerging. Despite the daily surge in confirmed cases due to the recent spread of the Omicron variant, the increase in dining out appears to be driven by the suspension of the vaccine pass and the easing of social distancing measures. It is also analyzed that the burden of increased delivery fees may have partially influenced this trend.

According to Mobile Index by data company IGAWorks on the 24th, the number of users (MAU) of Baemin, Yogiyo, and Coupang Eats on Android and iPhone (iOS) smartphones last month was recorded at 20.7 million, 8.88 million, and 6.29 million respectively. All three platforms have seen a decline in users for two consecutive months this year since December last year. Coupang Eats lost over 700,000 users this year, and Yogiyo saw a decrease of 170,000 users. Even Baemin, which performed relatively well, lost about 45,000 users. Previously, Baemin had recorded 21.48 million users six months ago in August last year and showed stagnation while the second and third places were aggressively catching up. However, now the growth of Yogiyo and Coupang Eats, which had surpassed 9 million and 7 million users respectively in December, has also started to slow down, leading to an overall cooling of the market atmosphere.

The industry attributes the primary cause of the user decline to increased dining out due to the “With Corona” policy. Despite the recent spread of Omicron, the suspension of the vaccine pass and easing of social distancing have led to a surge in pent-up dining demand, naturally resulting in a decrease in delivery orders. Posts expressing concerns about the recent drop in orders have been continuously appearing in online communities of delivery restaurant owners.

Additionally, the fact that Baemin and Coupang Eats, which had been engaged in an all-out battle over “single delivery” where one rider handles one order, have restructured their pricing plans resulting in actual delivery fee increases seems to have made users hesitant to use delivery apps. On local community platforms like Danggeun Market, demand for takeout or group purchases is rapidly increasing due to the burden of delivery fees. The industry explains that since delivery fees are intertwined with issues such as competition over single deliveries and rider supply shortages, a structural approach is necessary.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.