Baemin and Coupang Eats Target Olive Young with 30-Minute Beauty Runs

South Korean food delivery platforms Baemin and Coupang Eats are now dispatching couriers with discount cosmetics in roughly 30 minutes. They are using local retail store networks to beat market leader CJ Olive Young on speed.

Baemin added warehouse outlet chain Off Beauty to its app last week. The partnership covers roughly 4,000 products shipped from 30 outlets across Seoul, Busan and other major cities. Orders arrive faster than Olive Young’s average 55-minute express tier.

How the Off Beauty Model Works

Off Beauty buys surplus manufacturer stock, cosmetics in pre-redesign packaging, and near-expiry goods directly from brand owners. This supply chain keeps shelf prices low. In turn, it gives delivery apps a catalog of deeply discounted goods.

In June, Coupang Eats listed Off Beauty with free delivery for its Coupang Wow subscribers. The discount chain runs about 50 stores today and plans to reach 100 nationwide. That expansion will give couriers more local pickup hubs across metropolitan areas.

Filling the Gaps Between Meal Orders

Food delivery platforms suffer predictable order slumps between the lunch and dinner rushes. Cosmetics orders flow in steadily throughout the day. These purchases smooth out rider demand during quiet hours without requiring cold storage or fast expiration controls.

For couriers, makeup items are light and compact compared to hot meals or grocery bags. Fulfilling a lipstick or moisturiser order costs the same as delivering lunch. Crucially, the inventory does not spoil if a rider hits traffic.

Taking on the Olive Young Monopoly

Online channels generated 41.4 percent of South Korea’s cosmetics sales last year, according to government data. CJ Olive Young booked 2.94 trillion won ($2.2 billion) in first-half revenue across its online and offline operations. That gave the chain a 21.5 percent share of the country’s 13.72 trillion won beauty market.

Back in 2018, Olive Young launched its Oneul Deurim three-hour delivery service from 1,360 stores and urban logistics centres. The service handled 19.35 million orders last year. It also drove nearly half of Olive Young’s total shipments in the first half of this year.

Mounting Rivalry Across Platforms

Rapid 30-minute delivery changes the battleground for specialist retailers. Olive Young relies on curated selections, ingredient advice, and AI skin diagnostics. Delivery apps are betting that lower prices and instant drop-offs will win impulse shoppers instead.

Pressure is building from outside the food delivery sector as well. Other non-traditional competitors are eating into beauty sales across Korea. Online grocer Market Kurly, discount chain Daiso, and fashion marketplace Musinsa, which is opening dedicated beauty flagships, are all chasing market share.

Whether Baemin and Coupang Eats can take 30-minute cosmetics delivery beyond major hubs hinges on Off Beauty hitting its 100-store target across provincial cities.