Coupang: Korean E-Commerce Craze - [Business Breakdowns, EP.169]

Today, we are breaking down the South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang. If we ran through the taxonomy of investor interests, this Coupang conversation checks many boxes on that list. It is a founder-owned and operated business, a business that went through a massive pivot years into existence, a business that's replicating the Amazon model to success, and a business with healthy debates on the TAM & financial trajectory going forward.

Our guest today is Drew Cohen from Speedwell Research. We want Business Breakdowns to be the most efficient way for you to learn about a company, so we pack that information as densely as possible into about an hour of each episode, but if you are itching for more on Coupang, check out Drew's full report at speedwellresearch.com. Please enjoy this Breakdown of Coupang.

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For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.

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Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Business Breakdowns

(00:04:52) An Overview of Coupang

(00:07:49) Coupang's Founder Story

(00:10:46) The Pivot to Amazon Model

(00:13:49) Coupang's Logistics and Delivery Innovations

(00:17:32) Coupang's Market Position and Competition

(00:25:24) Consumer Behavior and Market Dynamics

(00:34:15) Understanding Gross Margins and GMV

(00:36:48) Operating Leverage and Logistics Infrastructure

(00:38:06) Future Growth and Market Expansion

(00:41:30) Advertising and Brand Dynamics

(00:48:59) Competitive Landscape and Risks

(00:56:12) Valuation and Market Perception

(00:59:15) Key Lessons from Coupang's Success