Coupang, Baemin, and Ably have emerged as South Korea’s top three consumer apps across general retail, delivery, and specialty platforms respectively based on user activity in April 2025.

According to data released Tuesday by app market tracker Wiseapp Retail, Coupang led the general shopping mall app category with 33.39 million monthly users, up 8.2 percent from 30.86 million a year earlier. The company’s rapid delivery service and user-friendly features such as its proprietary payment and search systems have helped secure a highly loyal customer base. Coupang has also expanded its focus on fashion, beauty, and home goods categories to sustain growth.

Coupang’s paid membership program, WOW, which includes perks including free delivery and returns, had about 14 million members at the end of 2023 - up 27 percent from 11 million in 2022. It is estimated to surpass 15 million members by year-end.

An industry official said that Coupang’s aggressive investments in logistics, including its signature Rocket Delivery network and one-touch payment, have boosted convenience and user loyalty. The added value of WOW membership, which includes benefits like access to its video streaming service and delivery discounts, has also played a key role in the company’s continued rise.

In the general mall category, Coupang was followed by 11Street with 8.93 million users and AliExpress with 8.81 million. AliExpress has been gaining ground in Korea’s e-commerce scene by expanding free shipping options and launching its own express delivery service.

Among specialty shopping apps, fashion platform Ably topped the list with 9.29 million users, up 13.5 percent year-on-year, followed by Olive Young (7.73 million) and Musinsa (7.28 million). Ably’s strength lies in its Gen Z-oriented shopping experience that combines curated fashion looks, live broadcasts, and a marketplace-based model. The company is also expanding beyond a specialty fashion mall into a broader platform by enhancing AI-powered search and onboarding more brands.

An Ably spokesperson said the company has successfully evolved into a “style portal” where users can not only shop for fashion and beauty items but enjoy webtoons, web novels, AI profiles, chat features, and community content as well.

In the convenience store and supermarket app category, Woori Dongne GS led with 4.05 million users, a 25.3 percent increase from the previous year, followed by Pocket CU (2.23 million) and 7-Eleven (430,000). Woori Dongne GS gained popularity by offering quick commerce and pre-order services that go beyond traditional point-earning and discounts.

In the food delivery sector, Baemin (Baedal Minjok) remained dominant with 21.69 million users. Coupang Eats and Yogiyo followed with 10.89 million and 4.89 million users respectively.

Among popular food and beverage apps, Starbucks had the largest user base with 7.36 million, followed by Burger King (3.04 million) and Happy Point (2.72 million). In the household goods and miscellaneous items category, Daiso Mall led with 3.8 million users while Today’s House (3.1 million) and 29CM (2.06 million) trailed behind. GS Shop ranked first in the home shopping segment with 3.46 million users.

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