Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-04-21 14:19Core Viewpoint - The competition between JD.com and Meituan in the food delivery sector has intensified, highlighted by JD.com's founder Liu Qiangdong personally delivering food, signaling a strategic move in the ongoing "delivery war" [1][6]. Group 1: Competitive Landscape - JD.com officially launched its food delivery service on February 11, 2023, promising zero commission for merchants who join before May 1, 2025, directly challenging Meituan's commission rates of 6%-8% [4][7]. - Meituan quickly responded with a "defensive plan," reducing commissions for key accounts and offering commission waivers in rural markets [4]. - JD.com has committed over 10 billion yuan to subsidies for its delivery service, leading to a rapid increase in daily orders, surpassing 5 million [6][10]. Group 2: Competitive Advantages - JD.com offers a differentiated commission policy, attracting merchants with a 5% commission rate after the initial waiver, significantly lower than Meituan's rates [7]. - JD.com leverages its strong logistics and supply chain capabilities, utilizing 1.3 million riders to ensure fast delivery, with a promise of delivery within 9 minutes [7][16]. - JD.com focuses on quality by allowing only established restaurants to join its platform, targeting the mid-to-high-end market, which contrasts with Meituan's broader approach [10]. Group 3: Strategic Implications - JD.com is in a "defensive offensive" position, as its e-commerce growth has slowed, necessitating increased user engagement through food delivery to counter Meituan's encroachment on its retail space [15]. - Meituan boasts a robust ecosystem with a peak daily order volume of 98 million and over 7 million riders, creating a high-density delivery network [16]. - Both companies are investing heavily in technology and logistics to maintain competitive advantages, with JD.com focusing on logistics efficiency and Meituan enhancing its AI and drone delivery capabilities [14][18]. Group 4: Future Outlook - JD.com needs to sustain its subsidy strategy for 1-2 years to attract small and medium-sized merchants and fill category gaps [18]. - Meituan must address rising operational costs and maintain merchant satisfaction to prevent significant losses to JD.com [14][21]. - The competition is evolving beyond pricing and subsidies to encompass ecosystem development, strategic positioning, and user experience, benefiting consumers and the industry as a whole [21].