Taipei, Sept. 7 (CNA) South Korean e-commerce operator Coupang Inc., which launched a grocery delivery service in Taiwan in July, expanded its service area in Taipei Tuesday, the company said in a statement.
With the opening of a second base in Taipei's Xinyi District Tuesday, Coupang expanded its service area in the city from Zhongshan and Datong districts to Daan, Songshan and Xinyi, the company said.
"We are extremely excited about the opportunities we see in Taiwan, especially to break trade-offs for customers here," said Coupang founder and Chief Executive Officer Bom Kim in the statement, citing Ministry of Economic Affairs' data that showed online sales grew 34 percent year-on-year in Taiwan from April to June.
Compared to its rivals in Taiwan, such as foodpanda, which offers delivery of supermarket items as soon as 20 minutes after a customer places an order online, Coupang advertises its service as a speedier option, offering shoppers delivery in 10 minutes.
Highlighting its investment in technology, Coupang Taiwan head of operations Angela Jian said "we can provide online consumers with a complete supermarket shopping experience at their fingertips."
In an earlier interview responding to Coupang's entry into the local market, Tsai Kai-wen, CEO and president of Taiwanese e-commerce group PCHome, said the group is prepared for any challenges posed by competitors.
