Key Points
- Naver’s e-commerce platform is seeing a surge in traffic and transactions following Coupang’s data breach.
- Monthly active users on Naver Plus Store rose over 11% in December. Naver’s same-day delivery service saw a 76% increase in transaction value.
- The company is also making a strong push into the grocery delivery market.
- It’s still unclear if this is a short-term boost or a long-term shift in consumer behavior.
Naver’s e-commerce platform, Naver Plus Store, is seeing a surge in popularity as South Korean shoppers look for alternatives to Coupang following its massive data breach. The shift in consumer behavior, combined with the busy year-end shopping season, has analysts expecting a strong fourth-quarter performance for Naver.
The numbers are impressive. Naver’s monthly active users jumped over 11% in December, and shopping traffic on the platform was up more than 20% in a single week. The company’s same-day delivery service saw a massive 76% increase in transaction value compared to the same period last year.
Naver is also making a big push into the grocery delivery market, an area where Coupang has traditionally been dominant. A new partnership with the fresh food platform Kurly has led to a more than 200% increase in transaction value in a month.
While the timing of this surge strongly suggests it’s a direct result of Coupang’s data breach, a Naver official was cautious. They pointed out that the increase also coincided with major holiday promotions and a seasonal spike in online shopping.
Still, there’s no denying that Naver has positioned itself as a credible and attractive alternative for consumers who may have lost trust in Coupang.
The big question now is whether this is just a temporary boost or the start of a long-term shift in the e-commerce landscape. Despite the backlash, Coupang’s user base has already begun to rebound, suggesting that customer loyalty remains strong.
But for now, Naver is making the most of the opportunity to win over new customers and prove that it can compete with the industry giant.
