Coupang Purchases 7,000 Tons of Fruit from Population-Decline Areas—Largest Ever

[Financial News] Coupang's fruit purchases from local farms, mainly in population-decline areas, surpassed 7,000 tons this year. This was the largest volume ever recorded for the same period.
According to Coupang on the 21st, the company purchased 7,000 tons of fruit from eight areas, including population-decline areas, from January through August this year, up 10% from the same period last year. The main sourcing areas were Yeongam-gun and Hampyeong-gun in South Jeolla Province; Seongju-gun, Uiseong-gun, Yeongcheon-si and Goryeong-gun in North Gyeongsang Province; and Gunwi-gun, Daegu. Most of them are population-decline areas designated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS).
The volume purchased from January through August was the largest ever recorded for that period. It surpassed the previous record of approximately 6,350 tons set during the same period last year. Coupang's purchases of fruit from local farms in population-decline areas and elsewhere have steadily increased, from 3,400 tons in 2022 to 5,600 tons in 2023, 6,000 tons in 2024 and approximately 7,600 tons last year. This year, the volume had already nearly reached last year's annual total by August, and Coupang expects it to exceed 8,400 tons by the end of the year.
The fruit Coupang purchases from population-decline areas and other regions and sells through its dawn-delivery service includes about 30 varieties, such as apples, Korean melons, plums, watermelons, strawberries and figs. Coupang explained that it had increased its purchases from local farms as demand for fruit grew while the company expanded its logistics network into Honam, Yeongnam and Gangwon, where offline grocery-shopping infrastructure is limited.
This year, in particular, some areas—including Gunwi-gun, Daegu—recorded notable increases in procurement. Purchases from Goryeong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, known for its U-gok watermelons, rose 60% from the same period last year. The figure increased 138% in Hampyeong-gun, South Jeolla Province, a major fig-producing area, and 73% in Gunwi-gun, Daegu, a major plum-producing area.
Local farmers said that securing stable sales channels was helping them maintain their income base. The Gunwi Nonghyup Plum Joint Shipment Association, which is made up of approximately 130 plum farms in Gunwi-gun, Daegu, recorded KRW 1.6 billion in sales through Coupang so far this year, double the figure from the same period last year.
A Coupang official said, "We will continue to expand our purchases from local farms and mutually beneficial partnerships so that farms in population-decline areas struggling to develop sales channels can continue to grow."


[email protected] Jang Yu-ha Reporter