"Pre-Monsoon Stockpiling"... Coupang Releases Over 130 Tons of High-Sugar Watermelons

Expansion of "AI Selection System" Coverage
From Watermelons to Tangerines, Oriental Melons, Tomatoes, and Peaches

Coupang announced on July 10 that it will begin selling approximately 130 tons of high-sugar watermelons in celebration of the official start of the monsoon season.

The featured products in this special promotion include the "Sugar-Selected 11 Brix Watermelon (6-9kg or more)" and the "Haetsare Daolchan Honey Watermelon (7-9kg)." The average sugar content is 11 Brix, and depending on the product, it can reach as high as 12 Brix. Customers can purchase a whole watermelon at an average price in the 20,000 won range per melon.

Coupang, Massive Watermelon Warehouse Clearance. Coupang

This year, Coupang secured large quantities from Korea’s renowned high-quality watermelon-producing regions: Gochang in North Jeolla Province and Eumseong in North Chungcheong Province. Watermelons from Gochang are known for their crisp texture, grown in pristine loess soil and exposed to sea breezes. Eumseong watermelons, thanks to abundant sunlight, are famous for their high sugar content and the "Daolchan" brand, which is known for its firm, densely packed flesh.

Notably, Coupang has, for the first time this year, implemented a pre-monsoon storage strategy to ensure the supply of high-quality watermelons during the rainy season. Watermelons increase their sugar content through a thinning process just before harvest, but during the monsoon, excessive water absorption can reduce sweetness, and if a heatwave follows, the flesh can become soft. In response, Coupang preemptively stores carefully inspected, high-quality watermelons harvested in a timely manner from excellent production areas at its logistics centers, distributing them during the monsoon period.

As consumer demand for high-quality watermelons continues to rise, Coupang’s watermelon purchases are also increasing each year. As of June last year, the company purchased over 5,000 tons, while this June the figure surpassed 5,700 tons. The total annual purchase volume is expected to reach approximately 8,600 tons this year.

Meanwhile, Coupang is expanding the use of its "AI Selection System" to further enhance the taste and freshness of its fruit. The AI selector is a device that utilizes non-destructive optical sensors and computer vision technology to precisely analyze factors such as sugar content, moisture content, and internal condition. Following its use for tangerines, oriental melons, and tomatoes, this year it has been extended to include watermelons and peaches.

A Coupang representative stated, "With the pre-monsoon storage know-how introduced for the first time this year, we have carefully selected crisp and sweet high-quality watermelons," adding, "We hope customers enjoy high-sugar watermelons even during the rainy season, as we have raised the quality even further with AI selection technology."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.