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.

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.

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.

4 percent of South Korea’s cosmetics sales last year, according to government data. 2 billion) in first-half revenue across its online and offline operations.

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