Coupang business leader John Dempsey meets with U.S. small and medium-sized businesses at ECRM Total Wellness tradeshow in Chicago. 

Coupang’s U.S. roadshow is helping American small and mid-sized businesses expand internationally while also taking the complexity out of global trade. The latest stop: Chicago, where Coupang met one-on-one with dozens of U.S. retail manufacturers and sellers who are eager to connect with millions of new customers in South Korea and beyond. 

As a U.S.-based technology and Fortune 150 leader in global commerce, Coupang connects thousands of American brands to international markets each year, helping them export billions of dollars in American goods overseas. 

Connecting U.S. Wellness Brands to Growing International Demand 

In Chicago, Coupang attended the ECRM Total Wellness trade show, meeting with American sellers and manufacturers that specialize in supplements, vitamins and sports performance goods — one of Coupang’s top-selling U.S. categories. 

Health and wellness products made in the United States are especially popular with South Korean consumers, who often seek high-quality American supplements online. 

“Many American suppliers think selling to Korea is daunting, but we give them a clear path and the ability to simplify the process by signing up with Coupang right on site,” said John Dempsey, head of U.S. Business Development at Coupang. “The goal is to make the process of becoming a Coupang seller simple, and to get as many great sellers into the pipeline as possible so these companies can benefit from a growing category that performs extremely well.” 

Beyond supplements, U.S. companies on Coupang also sell  consumer goods, agricultural products, beauty items, household essentials and more — all supported by Coupang’s cross-border e-commerce infrastructure. 

A Simple Path to Selling Internationally 

Coupang’s  Audrey Rivard  and John Dempsey and in Chicago, meeting with U.S. businesses eager to grow internationally and reach new customers.  

One of the biggest barriers for U.S. businesses considering global expansion is complexity: the process typically requires export paperwork, labeling requirements, and overseas logistics to reach international customers. It can also require establishing a foreign entity or navigating unfamiliar regulatory systems. 

Coupang helps remove those obstacles. 

“Our sellers only need to ship their products to our Riverside, California, fulfillment center,” Dempsey explained. “We handle the rest — no export documentation, no local registration, no relabeling. We package the items, market them to our customers in Korea, and deliver them to their doorstep. If it meets requirements, we can sell it as-is.” 

Introducing the 5-Minute Sign-Up 

To make onboarding even faster, Coupang is rolling out a new tool at trade shows nationwide: the 5-Minute Sign-Up. 

The simplified registration process allows vendors to quickly enroll as Coupang sellers and fast-track their applications. By meeting businesses face-to-face and offering quick onboarding, Coupang is often able to accelerate access to global markets for companies that have never sold their goods internationally before. 

A Growing Nationwide Roadshow 

Prior to Chicago, Coupang’s cross-country tour stopped in Destin, Florida followed by Dallas; upcoming events include Expo West in Anaheim, California, and Prosper in Las Vegas.

At every stop, the message remains the same: selling internationally doesn’t have to be complicated. 

“Our job is to make it easy so vendors and manufacturers can focus on what they do best – building great products,” Dempsey said. “We’ll handle the rest.”