From its storefront, Dalaram Fruits is virtually indistinguishable from the dozens of other fruit and other food vendors lining the Daerim Traditional Market. The tiny store of less than 27 square meters was passed down to Chang-hoon Ha in 2019 from his father, who had inherited the store from his own father many years before. The two major differences that set Dalaram apart, however, are the age of its owner, who at 30 is half the age of the typical traditional market vendor, and the store’s bustling online delivery business.
Even just over a year and a half ago, the concept of selling fruit through a food delivery app like Coupang Eats was unfamiliar. But Chang-hoon, who had previously sold delivery cup-bap (rice in a cup with various toppings) before taking over his family business, thought there was no reason fruit couldn’t be just as popular as other food delivery offerings. His intuition was right—in his first year on Coupang Eats alone, Chang-hoon boosted his company’s sales to 150 million won (around 120,000 dollars).
Chang-hoon attributes his success to several factors. First was the speed of Coupang Eats in delivering fruit to customers. Especially during the pandemic, Chang-hoon guessed that customers would prefer to have their fruits delivered instead of having to go to the grocery store. Unlike traditional grocery deliveries, which could take hours or even days, food deliveries could get to customers under an hour. And of the food delivery options, he was most impressed by Coupang Eats. “If you look at delivery speed, Coupang Eats is definitely faster,” he said. “There are cases where deliveries are completed within 10 minutes if the distance isn’t too far.”
Another important support has been the custom coaching of the Coupang Eats sales team. In the first month, Chang-hoon only made around 2 million won (around 1,600 dollars). A sales team member from Coupang personally visited Chang-hoon’s shop and coached him on overall sales strategies, sharing the know-how of successful stores and giving tips such as how to organize the menu to maximize sales. Chang-hoon revamped his online presence, and the following month, he increased his sales tenfold to 20 million won.
The final key to Chang-hoon’s success has been his relentless focus on customer service. With each delivery, he sends a letter of thanks as well as extra fruit to the customer. “This is something I learned while running my cup-bap business for two years before taking over the fruit shop,” said Chang-hoon. “We learned that these small gestures of caring can help bring more repeat customers.” Chang-hoon is also very sensitive to his customers’ needs, reading reviews thoroughly to glean their responses as well as gather ideas for new products. Some of Chang-hoon’s best-selling items are “Dalaram’s Random Seasonal Fruit Box” and the “Fruit of the Day,” which cater to customers who wish to eat fruit but aren’t always sure what to get.
These days, Chang-hoon’s business is an internet favorite, regularly ranking at the top of Coupang Eats among all fruit vendors nationwide. Dalaram also consistently makes at least 10 million won (around 8,000 dollars) each month on Coupang Eats alone. Chang-hoon loves seeing reviews and images of the impact his business has had on his customers, such as the proud parents who celebrated their child’s first birthday party with beautifully arranged fruits from Dalaram.
“We are expanding our branches as sales are growing rapidly. My goal is to keep growing and open our 100th branch,” said Chang-hoon. “We will continue to introduce high-quality fruits and products in order to achieve our dream—please continue to support us!”
