The founder of Yelisa, Inc., one of our Global Sellers based in New York City, launched her online business in 2021 as she was looking for a career that allowed her to pursue entrepreneurial ambitions while still being able to focus on being the best mom for her daughter.
Coupang is proud to serve as a growth engine for thousands of American businesses, both big and small, helping them sell more than $4 billion of goods to fast-growing markets in Korea and beyond. Powering US businesses of all sizes, we sell products from some of the largest US companies, including Proctor & Gamble and Apple, while driving significant growth for small and medium-sized businesses, led by talented entrepreneurs who are blazing their own path. Just like Yeil, founder and General Manager of Yelisa, whose volume increased more than 50X last year compared to 2021.
“Launching my business was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced in my life,” says Yeil. “I was not born into a wealthy family and didn’t have a lot of support growing up.” She points out she had no formal business training and didn’t take any business courses. “I didn’t even watch any of the YouTube tutorials that are designed to help people like me who are interested in launching a business selling overseas.” But she was eager to learn and had a sharp eye for consumer trends here and abroad, and watched as demand for certain products, especially during the pandemic, rose dramatically.
Recognizing opportunities to tap into the Korean marketplace, she asked her sister, who started selling on overseas marketplaces in 2019, for advice on where to begin. Her sister recommended several options to sell online, including Coupang. As they discussed the various options, her sister advised, “Once you start selling on Coupang, you have to be ready for the quantity that follows because you’ll sell a lot.”
Heeding the advice, Yelisa tested several other online marketplaces first but after a month, there were very few sales and Yeil was discouraged enough to consider pivoting away from the idea entirely. She decided to try Coupang in June 2021 and was immediately greeted with a drastically different experience.
“I was very impressed with how easy it was to sell through Coupang. A few things stood out to me: first, the perception of the company from Korean consumers is very strong, so for me, it’s the best way to reach the most customers in that market. Also, the seller fees were more advantageous at Coupang. Other sites were charging 15-20% seller fees for those of us just starting out, whereas Coupang’s were up to 30% lower.”
Her sister’s advice proved prescient, as the number of items Yelisa sold increased more than 50X last year compared to 2021. During the first year selling through Coupang, less than 10% of Yelisa’s Korean sales came from Coupang. By the end of her second year, she estimates 20-30% of her Korean sales came from Coupang. In 2023, Coupang accounted for the overwhelming majority of her Korean sales.
“Coupang is the largest sales channel I have in Korea. The best decision I ever made for my business was to try Coupang.”
Yeil has added another employee in New York to support her growing business. She’s thankful for the success she’s had but seems happiest about being able to spend more time now with her daughter and never missing school drop-off or pick-up. She recognizes that many small business owners don’t get sick days or paid time off, since their time is money. But her success with Coupang has allowed her family to travel to Europe, Hawaii, and the Caribbean and to stay at home whenever her daughter is sick from school.
When asked for advice to share with others who are considering selling through Coupang, she offers “I did this and you can, too. Coupang provided an opportunity for me to be successful and I didn’t have to give up being a mom. I recommend this job to all my friends who are busy raising children and trying to find the right career to help provide for their families.”
For more information on Coupang Marketplace, please visit: Global Selling Home – Coupang Marketplace.
