Zhong Guo Jing Ying Bao·2025-05-09 20:12Core Insights - The recent food delivery subsidy war has intensified, particularly with Alibaba (Taobao Shanguo, Ele.me) joining the competition alongside Meituan and JD, leading to significant consumer discounts and increased order volumes [1][2][3] Group 1: Impact on Sales - Many restaurants experienced unexpected sales surges during the "May Day" holiday, with some achieving record sales. For instance, a burger shop reported sales reaching over 8,000 yuan on April 30, compared to 4,000 yuan in previous years, marking a more than 100% increase [4][6] - A tea shop in a county-level city saw a dramatic rise in orders starting May 3, with daily orders exceeding 100, significantly higher than the usual 30-40 orders [5][6] Group 2: Consumer Behavior - Consumers have been actively sharing their experiences of obtaining significant discounts on food delivery platforms, with some reporting prices as low as 0.01 yuan for meals originally priced at 40-50 yuan [8][9] - The surge in orders has led to some delivery platforms experiencing technical issues due to high traffic, indicating strong consumer engagement with promotional activities [2][6] Group 3: Operational Challenges - The sudden increase in order volume has created operational challenges for restaurants, including stock shortages and staffing issues. Some restaurant owners had to temporarily close certain delivery channels due to overwhelming demand and lack of supplies [7][8] - Not all restaurants benefited equally from the subsidy war; some businesses, particularly those with less suitable offerings for delivery, reported lower sales during the holiday period [10]