A Million Users Are Quitting Coupang, Yet They All Came Here... "Wait, Let Me Use the Coupon for Chicken First"

12.97 million Coupang Eats users last month
Coupang loses 1 million users, but Coupang Eats keeps growing

Despite the massive personal data leak that has triggered a wave of so-called "Talpang" (mass withdrawal of Coupang memberships), the number of Coupang Eats users has actually increased. Users of Coupang Eats are mainly drawn from Coupang Wow membership, but analysis suggests that more people came in to use compensation coupons than the number who left due to Talpang. In other words, the compensation coupons that failed to have an impact on Coupang’s main platform did work in the food delivery application.

According to Mobile Index, a data platform operated by IGAWorks, the monthly active users (MAU) of Coupang Eats reached 12.97 million last month. This represents an increase of about 2% from the previous month. The number of users has grown for two consecutive months since the Coupang personal data leak emerged at the end of November last year. The number of merchants on Coupang Eats in January also reached around 280,000, up about 2.4% from the previous month.

The solid performance of Coupang Eats contrasts with the weakening trend seen at Coupang. Due to the data leak and the continuing controversy that followed, Coupang’s users have been declining. Based on Mobile Index data, Coupang’s monthly active users fell to 34.01 million last month, down 837,000 from the previous month. Retail analytics service WiseApp also estimated Coupang’s MAU in January at 33.18 million, a decrease of nearly 1.1 million from a month earlier.

This does not mean that orders are increasing across the food delivery app market as a whole. Last month, the users of Baemin (Baedal Minjok), Yogiyo, and Ttaenggyeoyo stood at 23.25 million, 4.48 million, and 3.27 million, respectively, each posting a slight decline from the previous month. Baemin dropped 2.1%, Yogiyo 1.5%, and Ttaenggyeoyo 8.0%. January, which follows the peak season at year-end, has long been regarded as a period when delivery orders tend to slow. Against this backdrop, Coupang Eats was the only major player that saw its user base grow.

The industry believes that the Coupang Eats coupons that Coupang distributed on January 15 as compensation for the personal data leak incident have proven effective. Coupang failed to retain users who were leaving its main platform, but within the structure of Coupang Eats, which had expanded its user base through Coupang membership benefits, there were more people coming in to immediately use the coupons to get a 5,000 won discount on food orders than users lost due to Talpang. An industry official explained, "In the delivery app market, there is a strong tendency toward multi-homing, where users selectively use different platforms depending on the timing of coupon issuance and ongoing marketing campaigns."

Even as Coupang Eats continues its pursuit despite the major blow of a personal data leak, Baemin is moving to strengthen its platform competitiveness this year by partnering with large franchise brands. A representative example is its agreement this month with Hanguk Il-O-Sam, the operator of Cheogajip Yangnyeom Chicken, to jointly design and execute online channel-focused sales strategies, including menu optimization, the launch of new items, operation of a dedicated brand section within the app, and reinforced joint promotions. An industry official said, "In the delivery market, it has become important not only to compete on price, but also to offer differentiated user experiences in areas such as menu and service," adding, "Competition to achieve this will unfold fiercely throughout the year."

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