"Collaborating with Small Manufacturers"... Coupang PB 'Gomgom Rice' Contributes to Revitalizing the Local Economy

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Coupang announced on the 5th that it is striving to revitalize the local economy through its private brand (PB) partnership with local farms.

Coupang revealed on its own site "Coupang Gomgom Rice! Do you know who makes it?" which contains the background story of the representative product 'Gomgom Rice' from the food PB Gomgom. Gomgom Rice is a product sold on Coupang, made by directly selecting and milling fresh rice produced in Cheongju, Chungbuk.

Gwangbok Agricultural Cooperative Corporation, the production partner of Gomgom Rice, is a representative local company in Chungbuk that has been continuing agriculture in Cheongju for about 40 years since 1981. Regarding the PB product manufacturing partnership, CEO Jeon Byung-soon of Gwangbok Agricultural Cooperative Corporation evaluated, "It is the first time in 40 years that a local company representing the region has challenged online sales together with Coupang."

The PB Gomgom, first introduced by Coupang, derives its name from 'Gomgomi Saenggakada' (Gomgom thinks). CEO Jeon expressed special affection, saying, "In fact, the rice is strictly selected as many as 12 times," and "We take pride in it being the best." During the time when the local economy was severely impacted by COVID-19, Gomgom Rice recorded sales of over 10,000 bags per day exclusively on Coupang.

The sales of small and medium manufacturers cooperating with CPLB, Coupang's PB specialized subsidiary, have shown a high growth rate, increasing by 500% over three years from 2019 to last year. Gomgom's fresh food is directly purchased and sold without going through complicated intermediate distribution, so sellers do not have to worry about leftover inventory, and customers can enjoy fresh products immediately after production.

A Coupang official said, "We will create opportunities not only to satisfy customers but also for various small and medium manufacturers to complement their shortcomings and grow together with Coupang."

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