3 Risks Investors Should Know Before Buying Coupang Stock

Core Insights - Coupang is recognized as a significant growth story in Asia, often compared to Amazon due to its innovative online shopping model in South Korea and its diverse services including Rocket Delivery, fintech, streaming, and food delivery [1] Group 1: Revenue Dependence and Risks - Coupang heavily relies on South Korea for its revenue, with a substantial majority generated from this market, making its future performance closely tied to South Korea's economic growth [4] - The high e-commerce penetration in South Korea suggests potential slowing domestic growth, influenced by consumer spending patterns, competition, and regulatory changes, which could impact Coupang's margins and demand [5] - The company is attempting to mitigate this risk through international expansion, with Taiwan as its first major market, showing promising triple-digit growth in Q2 2025, although it remains a small part of its overall strategy [6][7] Group 2: Financial Structure and Challenges - Coupang's logistics infrastructure, while a competitive advantage, also represents a significant financial burden due to the capital-intensive nature of building and maintaining fulfillment and delivery centers [8] - The reliance on South Korea for most revenue creates geographic concentration risk, limiting margin expansion due to the ongoing need for reinvestment in logistics [9]