As growth in the food delivery market slows and competition over free delivery makes profitability increasingly difficult, delivery platforms are expanding their business into quick commerce, which includes grocery shopping and household essentials. Moving away from a focus solely on food delivery, these companies are targeting the everyday consumer market with rapid delivery times of around 30 minutes. Faced with growth limits, the delivery industry is positioning quick commerce as a new breakthrough and growth driver, intensifying competition for market dominance.
According to industry sources, Coupang Eats has been operating its quick commerce service, Coupang Now, in Jeju since late May. A representative from Coupang Eats stated, "We are temporarily piloting the Coupang Now service in select areas based on the existing Eats Mart model."
Eats Mart is a direct purchase-based service that delivers groceries and household items such as meat, fruits, vegetables, and ramen immediately. It began pilot operations in Songpa District, Seoul, in 2021 and expanded to areas including Seocho, Gangnam, and Gangdong, but ceased all operations in August of last year. Instead, various stores have been added to the grocery shopping service within Coupang Eats, expanding the range of products available for quick commerce.
Industry analysts cite the growth of the quick commerce market and the expansion of competitors as reasons for Coupang Eats' reentry into this sector. With the food delivery market's growth slowing, the strategy is to secure new consumer demand and broaden business areas through quick commerce, which has relatively higher growth potential.
According to the National Data Agency's 'Online Shopping Trends,' the transaction value of online food services in 2025 is projected to reach 41.5889 trillion won, an 11.8% increase from the previous year. However, growth has further slowed this year. From January to June, the total transaction value for online food services was 21.7648 trillion won, only an 8.4% increase compared to 20.768 trillion won during the same period last year. The food delivery market, which saw rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, has entered a maturity phase, resulting in single-digit growth rates.
In contrast, the quick commerce market is expected to experience rapid growth. According to global market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the South Korean quick commerce market is projected to grow from $3.16 billion (approximately 4.3 trillion won) in 2025 to $4.51 billion (approximately 6.3 trillion won) by 2031.
The increase in single-person households and dual-income families has led to a rise in demand for small, immediate purchases, and consumer expectations for fast delivery have expanded into the food and household goods sectors, driving demand for instant delivery.
The growth potential is also evident in the performance of major players. Baedal Minjok's quick commerce service, Baemin B Mart, which operates on a direct purchase model, saw sales surge from 421.7 billion won in 2021 to 781.1 billion won last year, an increase of 85.2% in four years. In the first quarter of this year, the number of orders and transaction value increased by 37% and 36%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. The cumulative number of ordering customers has expanded to 8 million.
Experts predict that quick commerce will evolve from a mere supplementary service to a core business for delivery platforms. Professor Kim Dae-jong of Sejong University’s Business Administration Department stated, "Quick commerce is an important new growth driver that can break through the growth limits of the food delivery market. The key will be to expand sales in the short term while securing profitability through logistics efficiency and economies of scale in the medium to long term."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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