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From Delivery Apps Challenge Olive Young's Dominance in Korean Beauty Market

How could the rise of delivery apps in beauty affect Coupang?

Likely What happens if… A possibility worth considering, not a forecast.

Coupang may capture beauty demand by leveraging delivery infrastructure Coupang is actively challenging Olive Young's dominance by integrating beauty products into its existing delivery ecosystem. Through its partnership with Off Beauty, Coupang Eats offers a wide range of products delivered in about 30 minutes, free for Coupang's Wow members. Off Beauty maintains low prices by sourcing surplus stock, pre-redesign packaging, and near-expiry products directly from manufacturers. This strategy allows Coupang to capture cosmetics demand using its established delivery infrastructure and app user base, expanding its presence in the competitive Korean beauty market.

Reported by 1 independent outlet Written 1 hour ago
Effect
Strong positive
How direct
Stated in the reporting
When
Within weeks
The story
Still developing

How it reaches Coupang

Reported by news outlets

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The facts so far

As reported. Each one links to where it comes from.

  • Coupang Eats and Baemin have linked their rider networks and customer bases to nearby discount beauty stores.koreaherald.com
  • Off Beauty delivers about 4,000 products in roughly half an hour from 30 stores in Seoul, Busan and other cities.koreaherald.com
  • Coupang Eats offers free delivery for Coupang’s Wow members through the Off Beauty partnership.koreaherald.com
  • CJ Olive Young claimed 41.4 percent of Korean cosmetics sales last year, according to government data.koreaherald.com

Why it matters

Coupang is positioning itself to capture a significant portion of the rapidly growing Korean beauty market, which is a major category pulling customers across all platforms. By leveraging its core strength—its extensive delivery infrastructure—Coupang is moving beyond food delivery to compete directly with the market leader, CJ Olive Young, which holds a record 21.5 percent share of the online beauty market in the first half of the year.

This shift reflects a broader trend in the Korean retail landscape, where established giants are facing challenges from specialized challengers. Other companies, such as online grocer Market Kurly and discount-store chain Daiso, have already fused beauty with their core strengths, intensifying the competition for consumer spending in the K-beauty sector.

What we don't know yet

  • How quickly can Off Beauty scale its store count and delivery map to match Olive Young's nationwide presence?
  • Will the low-price strategy of Off Beauty be sustainable given its reliance on surplus and near-expiry stock?

What would change this answer

Off Beauty successfully expands its store count to 100 and widens its delivery mapsCoupang's ability to capture cosmetics demand will increase significantly, strengthening its competitive position against Olive Young.
Olive Young accelerates its delivery speed or enhances its curated range and AI servicesThe competitive pressure on Coupang will increase, potentially mitigating the market share gains achieved through speed and price.

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Brind's analysis is written by AI from the reporting linked above and can be wrong. This explainer is a possibility worth considering, not a forecast: steps marked as Brind's reasoning are not stated in the reporting. It is not investment advice; do your own research.