Coupang Purchases Record 7,000 Tons of Fruit from Depopulating Regions This Year

Coupang announced that the volume of fruit it purchased from eight regions, including depopulating areas, surpassed 7,000 tons between January and August of this year, marking an all-time high.

This figure represents a 10% increase compared to the same period last year, coming close to last year's total annual purchase volume of approximately 7,600 tons.

Coupang projected that its total purchase volume will exceed 8,400 tons by the end of this year.

The regions from which Coupang purchased fruit are mostly depopulating areas, including Yeongam and Hampyeong in South Jeolla Province; Seongju, Uiseong, Yeongcheon, and Goryeong in North Gyeongsang Province; and Gunwi in Daegu.


The purchased fruits include around 30 varieties such as apples, oriental melons, plums, watermelons, strawberries, and figs. By region, purchases of Goryeong watermelons in North Gyeongsang Province, famous for its Ugok watermelons, increased by 60% compared to the previous year, while Hampyeong figs in South Jeolla Province surged by 138%, and Daegu Gunwi plums rose by 73%.

Coupang explained that the purchase volume increased due to a growing customer base for fruit, driven by the expansion of its early-morning delivery logistics network into regions lacking offline grocery shopping infrastructure, such as the Jeolla, Gyeongsang, and Gangwon provinces.

Coupang noted that Gunwi plums, introduced on Coupang for the first time this year, saw their sales double compared to the same period last year to reach 1.6 billion won. The company stated, "We will continue to expand purchases from regional farms and strengthen win-win cooperation so that farming households in depopulating areas facing difficulties in securing sales channels can continue to grow."

(Photo provided by Coupang, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.