12.97 million Coupang Eats users last month
Coupang loses 1 million users, but Coupang Eats keeps growing
Despite a massive personal data leak triggering a wave of "Talpang" (members quitting Coupang), the number of Coupang Eats users has actually increased. Most Coupang Eats users come from Coupang Wow membership, but analysis suggests that more people joined to use compensation coupons than those who left due to Talpang. In other words, compensation coupons that failed to show much effect on Coupang itself proved effective on the food delivery application.
According to Mobile Index, operated by data platform company IGAWorks, the monthly active users (MAU) of Coupang Eats reached 12.97 million in January. This is an increase of about 2% from the previous month. The number of users has risen 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 stood at around 280,000, up about 2.4% from the previous month.
The solid performance of Coupang Eats contrasts with the weakening of Coupang. Due to the data leak and the ensuing controversy, Coupang’s user base has been shrinking. Based on Mobile Index data, Coupang’s MAU last month was 34.01 million, down by 837,000 from the previous month. Retail analytics service WiseApp also found that Coupang’s MAU in January was 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 MAUs of Baemin (Baedal Minjok), Yogiyo, and Ttaenggyeoyo were 23.25 million, 4.48 million, and 3.27 million, respectively, all posting slight declines from the previous month. Baemin dropped 2.1%, Yogiyo 1.5%, and Ttaenggyeoyo 8.0%. January, which follows the year-end peak season, has long been regarded as a period when delivery orders typically slow down. Against this backdrop, Coupang Eats alone saw its user numbers increase.
The industry believes that Coupang’s decision to provide Coupang Eats coupons on January 15 as compensation for the data breach was effective. While Coupang failed to retain users who were leaving, within the structure of Coupang Eats, which had expanded its user base through Coupang membership benefits, the number of people coming in to immediately use coupons to get a 5,000 won discount on food orders exceeded the number of users lost due to Talpang. An industry insider explained, "In the food 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 marketing campaigns."
Even as Coupang Eats continues its pursuit despite the major setback of the personal data leak, Baemin is moving to strengthen its platform competitiveness this year by teaming up with large franchise brands. A representative example is its agreement this month with Hanguk Il-O-Sam, the operator of the franchise Cheogajip Yangnyeom Chicken, to jointly design and execute sales strategies tailored to online channels, including menu optimization, new menu launches, operating a dedicated brand section within the app, and reinforcing joint promotions. An industry official said, "In the delivery market, it has become important not only to compete on price but also to provide differentiated user experiences in areas such as menu and service," adding, "Competition on this front will intensify throughout this year."
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