Coupang trims supply chain to lower fresh food prices

(Kim Ho-young)

Coupang Inc. has expanded its range of popular imported fresh foods, including raw salmon, by streamlining its supply chain and increasing direct sourcing from overseas producers, thus enabling more competitive pricing.

The e-commerce giant recently signed a direct supply agreement with Mowi ASA, the world’s leading salmon farm, and began offering raw salmon for sale on Tuesday. Coupang now imports Canadian and Norwegian salmon by air and sells it at one of the lowest prices in the domestic market. It is the only Korean e-commerce platform to establish a direct trading relationship with Mowi.

Previously, raw salmon was distributed via importers and processors before reaching domestic retailers, with direct sourcing mainly handled by offline players such as Dongwon Industries Co. and E-mart Traders Wholesale Club. Direct contracts with Norwegian suppliers require large volume purchases, which once exceeded demand in the online space, but this is changing as more consumers turn to e-commerce for fresh food. While shoppers once preferred to select perishable items like fish and fruit in person, that trend is shifting. Direct overseas sourcing, once limited to longer-lasting items like oranges, is now expanding to more perishable categories.

Coupang currently offers directly imported raw salmon at prices that are roughly 10 percent lower than competitors. The company reportedly sold out 20 tons of salmon within two weeks of launch. The number of salmon-related products on its overnight fresh food delivery platform has also doubled from around 40 in April 2024 to more than 80 in 2025, driven by rising demand for smoked, cured, and sushi-grade options. As of Tuesday morning, Mowi raw salmon was priced at 3,799 won ($2.72) per 100 grams on Coupang compared to 3,999 to 5,690 won at major supermarkets and online rivals. The price is comparable to or even below that of Costco, which is known for its own direct sourcing of salmon.

Coupang plans to extend direct sourcing to other fresh categories such as beef and fruit, aiming to secure the lowest prices and grow its market share. Australian beef brisket deckle and short plate cuts, for example, are priced at 2,085 won per 100 grams on Coupang compared to 2,136 to 3,180 won elsewhere. Frozen Vietnamese shrimp is sold at 2,230 won per 100 grams, below the industry average of 3,000 to 4,780 won.

Coupang has also been importing and selling oranges and lemons from California-based Wonderful Citrus since 2023, including the launch of seedless lemons in 2024. These are priced at about 380 won per 100 grams compared to the industry average of 451 won.

Coupang’s aggressive expansion into direct-sourced, low-priced fresh food reflects its view that this segment will shape the future of e-commerce competitiveness. According to Statistics Korea, online food transactions rose from 36.14 trillion won in 2022 to 40.69 trillion won in 2023 and topped 47 trillion won in 2024. Within that figure, transactions in agricultural, livestock, and marine products jumped from 9.48 trillion won in 2022 to 12.78 trillion won in 2023.

The broader retail sector is also intensifying its focus on fresh food. Naver Corp. has partnered with Kurly Inc., a fresh food-centered platform, and plans to integrate it into the Naver Plus Store in 2025. Lotte Mart launched its fresh food-focused app, Lotte Mart Zeta, while SSG.com has significantly expanded grocery purchases from E-mart.