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Coupang's sanitary pads sell out quickly amid heavy discounts

Published: 03 Feb. 2026, 10:20 Updated: 03 Feb. 2026, 15:12

Coupang's 99-won sanitary pads on sale [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Coupang’s 99 won (7 cent) sanitary pads sold out after the equivalent of 50 days’ worth of inventory was exhausted since starting discount sales on Sunday.

As of Tuesday, Coupang’s website showed that nearly all Lunamee sanitary pad products made by CPLB, the company’s private-label subsidiary, were sold out, with the exception of a few items such as long pantyliners and overnight pads.

Coupang previously cut the price of its medium-sized pads to 99 won per unit from 120 to 130 won and lowered large-sized pads to 105 won from the 140 to 150 won range. Order volumes surged to as much as 50 times their usual levels starting Sunday, quickly depleting stock equivalent to roughly 50 days of normal sales.

Demand was reportedly further concentrated on multipack products after the company limited purchases to one item per product per day to prevent hoarding.

Medium to large sanitary pads typically sell for 200 to 300 won per unit, while private-label products from other retailers are usually priced at around 120 won, making Coupang’s prices the lowest in the domestic market.

“Orders increased sharply compared to normal levels, and the prepared inventory was sold out earlier than expected,” Coupang said. "We are working to restock quickly."

The news comes after President Lee Jae Myung raised the issue of high domestic sanitary pad prices compared to overseas markets during a Cabinet meeting on Jan. 20 and instructed officials to review plans to produce and distribute low-cost pads of basic quality free of charge. He pointed to the market’s focus on premium products as limiting consumer choice.

Following the president’s remarks, companies including Yuhan-Kimberly and LG Unicharm said they would roll out mid- to low-priced sanitary pad products, signaling a swift response from the industry. Emart24 is also running giveaways and discount promotions on sanitary pads throughout February.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]