Coupang Eats' Japanese service 'Rocket Now,' launched last January, has now hit its stride. In Japan, where Uber Eats holds more than 70% of the market share, Rocket Now is making its presence known by offering free delivery.
I personally used Rocket Now during a recent business trip. To use Rocket Now, you must download a separate app called 'Rocket Now Food Delivery.' After downloading the app, the process continues just as in Korea: registering your home address and payment method.
The app's UI (user interface) is identical to Coupang Eats, so there were no difficulties using it. Simply select a restaurant, choose a menu item, and place an order. I ordered cheese gyudon from Yoshinoya, one of the most popular restaurants in Japan. The total amount was 1,200 yen (approximately 10,127 won), so I added miso soup to reach that figure.
The estimated delivery time was 40–45 minutes. Unlike Coupang Eats, which provides a domestic delivery PIN number, Rocket Now does not. This appears to be a measure to reduce delivery accidents by properly verifying the identity of customers, given the high volume of orders from foreign tourists. Additionally, Rocket Now offers coupons if the delivery arrives later than the estimated time. If it is delayed by up to 15 minutes beyond the estimate, a 100-yen (approximately 856 won) coupon is provided; for delays exceeding that, a 500-yen (approximately 4,280 won) coupon is issued.
In Coupang Eats terms, this was selected as 'Economy Delivery,' so the delivery fee was free. However, just like in Korea, it was processed together with other deliveries. The food arrived in about 30 minutes, and I met the rider on the first floor of my accommodation to show the PIN number. The rider entered the four-digit PIN into their device before leaving. The food was packed in disposable plastic bags, similar to domestic deliveries, and served in styrofoam containers and paper dishes.
Coupang Eats is expanding its Rocket Now service by leveraging price competitiveness. The strategy aims to overturn the perception that delivery food is expensive due to delivery fees and service charges charged by competing companies, by offering free delivery. Currently, Rocket Now provides free delivery services to all customers without requiring a separate membership subscription. Since May, operating hours have also been extended from 7 a.m. to 4 a.m. the following day.
Rocket Now continues to collaborate with various Japanese companies. In December last year, it began collaborating with 'Tabelog,' Japan's largest restaurant search and reservation service, displaying Tabelog ratings together. It also partnered with 'GO,' Japan's number one taxi hailing app, to offer discount coupons. Through such strategies, Rocket Now surpassed 7 million cumulative downloads within 18 months of its launch and expanded its service coverage to major cities across Japan.
Meanwhile, the dual pricing issue, where delivery prices differ from in-store prices, remains a problem. The cheese gyudon I ordered that day was priced at 660 yen (approximately 5,660 won) in-store, but the delivery price charged was 1,060 yen (approximately 9,090 won). Coupang Eats stated that it is continuously working to resolve this issue and explained that as of July, the number of restaurants setting identical prices for in-store and delivery orders had exceeded 10,000.
in TECH
