Coupang, a South Korean e-commerce giant, saw its net income drop dramatically in Q1 2024, from $91M to $5M, largely due to its recent acquisition of luxury retailer Farfetch. Excluding Farfetch, net income would have been $98M.
Coupang's Q1 revenues hit $7.1B, a 23% increase from last year, with Farfetch's figures now included. Excluding Farfetch, the growth was 18%. Net income, however, fell drastically to $5M from last year's $91M, due to losses from Farfetch. Without these losses, profits would have been $98M.
The product commerce segment grew 15% to $6.5B. The developing offerings, including Farfetch, soared by 337% to $620M. Excluding Farfetch, this segment's growth was still a robust 134%.
"With Farfetch's results now part of our portfolio, we expect our adjusted EBITDA losses in developing offerings to reach about $750M," said Gaurav Anand, CFO of Coupang. "However, we anticipate Farfetch will near break-even by year's end."
Competition with AliExpress and Temu is intensifying. Coupang's founder, Bom Kim, emphasized the low barriers to entry in retail. He plans to invest $16B in Korean products and improve membership benefits to retain consumer loyalty amid fierce competition.
Will Coupang's strategy outpace its losses?
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