Coupang said on Wednesday that acting CEO Harold Rogers visited Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on April 8 to hold a meeting with small merchants and listen to on-site feedback.

Rogers visited a grain processing company in Cheongju and discussed pending issues with heads of five small businesses in the Chungcheong region. He also checked the production site. Attendees included representatives from companies involved in grain procurement and processing, lunch boxes, prepared foods, paper products, household goods and food manufacturing, as well as heads of local agricultural cooperatives.

Rogers later visited production facilities to check manufacturing processes including receiving raw materials, processing, packaging and shipments. Coupang said it arranged the meeting to hear on-site views by visiting small manufacturing partner companies facing increased burdens due to fluctuations in exchange rates and energy prices.

At the meeting, participants raised views on cost burdens, supply stability, improving efficiency in operating farm produce items, business-to-business (B2B) transactions, expanding overseas sales channels and directions for shared growth. Rogers said he would seek ways to address difficulties from rising energy and raw material costs and review expanding overseas sales channels, including expanding exports to Taiwan.

Coupang said it will support expanding B2B sales channels and jointly developing products, and will set up a direct hotline to management to facilitate communication.

Rogers said, "Coupang can also develop only when small companies grow," adding, "We will build a foundation for growth."