Coupang DAU Returns to Pre-Leak Level of 16 Million
Estimated Payment Volume Stays at 121 Billion Won, Near Pre-Incident Lows
Competitors Like Kurly and SSG.com See Some Gains
Many Consumers Still Reluctant to Leave the Wow Membership Ecosystem
Contrary to expectations that a wave of "Talpang" (leaving Coupang) would follow the massive personal information leak at the end of November last year, this did not materialize. While rival e-commerce companies such as Kurly and SSG.com are introducing new memberships to replace Coupang's dawn delivery service and are enjoying some spillover benefits, Coupang's user base remains strong.
According to Mobile Index, a data tech company operated by IGAWorks, Coupang's daily active users (DAU) as of January 17 stood at 16.01 million, returning to the pre-leak level of around 16 million. The last time Coupang's DAU was in the 16 million range was on December 7 of last year (16.1035 million), marking a recovery after about 40 days. Immediately after the incident, the number of users dropped to the 14 million range by the end of December, showing signs of an exodus, but then gradually climbed back to the 15 million range before returning to previous levels.
Estimated payment amounts have also fluctuated daily, but have remained similar to pre-incident levels. Before the incident, estimated payments ranged from 120 billion to 180 billion won per day; immediately after, they stayed between 120 billion and 160 billion won, and as of January 17, hovered around 121 billion won.
The response differed by age group. For users in their 30s, estimated payments dropped from the mid-to-high 30 billion won range before the incident to the high 20 billion to low 30 billion won range after. For those in their 40s, the amount fell from the low 40 billion won range to the mid-to-high 30 billion won range. In contrast, users in their 20s and younger maintained the low 10 billion won range both before and after the incident.
The main reason is convenience. Last month, Kurly's monthly active users (MAU) reached a record high of 4.49 million, and as of December, cumulative subscribers to its paid membership service "Kurly Members" increased by 94% year-on-year. SSG.com also saw its average daily new visitors from January 1 to 15 surge by 330% compared to the same period last year, and the number of first-time SSG Delivery members rose by 53%. Although some disappointed consumers turned to competitors immediately after the incident, many appear to have concluded that there is no platform that can fully replace the Wow Membership ecosystem, including Rocket Delivery.
Coupang's offer of a 50,000 won purchase voucher also helped prevent a mass exodus. On January 15, Coupang provided four types of purchase vouchers to members affected by the personal information leak: a 5,000 won voucher for all Coupang products, a 5,000 won voucher for the Coupang Eats delivery platform, a 20,000 won voucher for the Coupang Travel platform, and a 20,000 won discount for the luxury beauty and fashion platform Alux. The DAU, which had fallen to 14.58 million by the end of December, rebounded to 15.99 million on the day the vouchers were distributed. In fact, the number of daily new installations surged to 34,700 on January 16, right after the 50,000 won coupon was issued, compared to 19,700 the previous day. Before the incident, daily new installations hovered between 10,000 and 20,000, and remained around 10,000 even after the incident. However, from January 1 to 3, the figure did rise to as high as 40,000.
Some analysts believe that previous experiences with a series of data breaches at domestic companies have also played a role. An industry insider said, "Some consumers are announcing their departure from Coupang, but it is not easy to give up the convenience of Rocket Delivery," adding, "This incident is a symbolic case that demonstrates how powerful the 'lock-in effect' can be in the platform business."
There is also a cautious perspective. Some suggest that consumers may be staying with Coupang not out of loyalty, but to position themselves for future class action lawsuits and compensation. On social media, advice is being shared such as, "If you leave Coupang, it may be more difficult to prove damages," and "You should keep your account until the compensation plan is finalized."
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