New customers for 11st's fast-delivery service Shooting Delivery rose sharply in December. Some are discussing possible spillover benefits linked to a major personal data leak at Coupang.

According to 11st, the number of customers who bought Shooting Delivery products for the first time rose 229 percent from a year earlier in the Dec. 1 to 29 period. It said a seven-day delivery system including weekends and a free-shipping structure with no monthly membership fee or minimum order requirement drove the inflow of new customers.

Shooting Delivery offers same-day delivery in the Seoul metropolitan area for orders placed before 11 a.m. It provides next-day delivery nationwide for orders placed before midnight. It has steadily expanded the service scope this year to respond at all times to demand for fast delivery.

Growth was also notable in the grocery category, its main product segment. In the same period, the transaction value of processed foods doubled from a year earlier. Daily necessities broadly posted gains, including chilled and frozen foods up 79 percent, milk and dairy products up 59 percent, snacks up 89 percent and grains up 57 percent. Shipment volume for its integrated fulfilment service Shooting Seller also expanded by more than twofold from a year earlier.

Some in the industry interpret the trend as consumers showing greater interest in alternative services related to the recent Coupang incident, spreading to options that offer next-day delivery without extra costs. 11st, however, described the performance as the result of value-oriented consumption trends and service competitiveness rather than directly linking it to the Coupang incident.

Ko Kwang-il, head of the sales group at 11st, said, "The strength of Shooting Delivery, which can be used every day without extra costs, is aligning with the value-oriented consumption trend and leading to customer inflows." He added, "We will continue to expand everyday fast-delivery experiences through data-based product management."