"From Street Vendors to 10 Billion Won Enterprises"... Traditional Seafood Markets Transform Sales Channels via Coupang

Traditional seafood market merchants are achieving meaningful results by growing into small and medium-sized enterprises with annual sales surpassing 10 billion won after joining Coupang, prompting a steady stream of smaller seafood businesses to join the platform. Previously, these businesses struggled due to complex distribution structures, low profitability, and a lack of digital capabilities, but recently, joining Coupang has allowed them to secure nationwide sales channels and embark on a new phase of growth.

According to Coupang on April 26, the number of seafood market small business owners nationwide selling products such as anchovies, hairtail, blue crabs, and dried seafood through Rocket Fresh has reached 10. Merchants from major production areas such as Busan Jagalchi Market, Yeosu Seafood Market, Jeju, Noryangjin, and Jindo are participating. These merchants are shifting their business models from a reliance on face-to-face sales and wholesale distribution to a focus on direct online transactions.

A representative from Coupang's seafood team explained, "More merchants are seeking to relaunch their businesses based on direct transactions, due to reasons such as the economic downturn, poor sales channels, and reduced profitability resulting from complex distribution structures."

Park Dongun, CEO of Haemalgeun Food, which has achieved over 400 times growth in 10 years since entering Coupang, holding the products for sale. Coupang

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This trend aligns with efforts to streamline the traditionally complex distribution process from production site to consumer and improve profitability. In fact, some businesses have seen a significant increase in sales after expanding direct transactions through Coupang. For example, a seafood company at Gamcheon Port in Busan has grown large enough to operate a dedicated early morning delivery team, and a long-established merchant at Noryangjin Seafood Market has seen sales increase more than fivefold after joining the platform and is now considering additional hiring. The share of Rocket Fresh seafood early morning delivery transactions accounted for by these small businesses continues to rise steadily.

There are also increasing examples of successful digital transformation. Haemalgeun Food, which started as a small dried seafood store at Garak Market, saw annual sales jump from about 40 million won in 2015, when it first joined Coupang, to over 16 billion won last year, just 10 years later. This was achieved by developing ready-to-eat products and expanding online sales after joining Coupang. Park Dong-eun, CEO of Haemalgeun Food, said, "Over the past 10 years, our sales have grown more than 400 times, our workforce has increased tenfold, and we have established a 5,300-square-meter state-of-the-art modern production facility," adding, "By overcoming the limitations of traditional distribution methods, Coupang has enabled us to compete and grow alongside large corporations, as long as we have outstanding products."

Coupang continues to expand its direct purchase volume from seafood production areas, broadening its supply chain to various regions such as Namhae, Jeju, Shinan, and Wando. It is also working with local governments and merchant organizations to support traditional market merchants in making the transition online and enhancing the competitiveness of their products.

A Coupang representative stated, "We will continue to actively increase the number of traditional market small business owners joining the platform and support their expansion into new sales channels and digital transformation through Rocket Delivery and Rocket Fresh."

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