Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-05-26 08:49Core Insights - The Chinese food delivery market is undergoing a significant transformation in 2025, with major players Meituan, JD.com, and Ele.me competing over rider rights, merchant resources, and user subsidies, marking a shift from "wild growth" to a "sustainable ecosystem" in the internet platform economy [1] Industry Landscape Evolution - Since its inception in 2010, the food delivery market has experienced multiple reshuffles, with Meituan expanding from group buying to a comprehensive ecosystem including delivery, hotels, and tourism. Ele.me started in the campus market and became a duopoly with Meituan through technological optimization and capital support from Tencent and Alibaba. JD.com's entry in 2025 disrupted this balance by leveraging its instant retail infrastructure and supply chain advantages [3][4] JD.com's Strategic Entry - JD.com's food delivery business is a continuation of its 2015 "JD Daojia" initiative, integrating Dada Group's resources. In 2024, JD.com merged its "hourly delivery" and "JD Daojia" into a "Dada Seconds" channel, officially entering the food delivery market in 2025 with a zero-commission policy [4][7] Key Events Timeline - JD.com launched its food delivery service in February 2025, announcing a zero-commission policy to attract merchants and focusing on high-end dining brands. It also became the first platform to provide social insurance for full-time riders [7][8] Meituan's Defensive Strategies - In response to JD.com's entry, Meituan upgraded its instant retail brand and introduced a rider rights protection plan, investing 140 billion yuan to improve rider equipment [8][9] Ele.me's Market Strategy - Ele.me initiated a subsidy program exceeding 10 billion yuan and upgraded its instant retail services, attempting to leverage Alibaba's resources to enhance its market position [10][15] Rider Rights and Competition - JD.com announced comprehensive social insurance for full-time riders, directly addressing industry pain points. Meituan followed suit but only partially covered pension insurance, leading to disputes over rider treatment and competition practices [11][20] Merchant Resource Competition - JD.com focused on high-end merchants with its zero-commission strategy, while Meituan utilized its extensive rider and merchant network to create synergies across various local services [14][23] User Subsidies and Market Penetration - JD.com quickly gained traction with over 1 million daily orders within 40 days of launch, implementing a "free delivery" policy for late orders. Ele.me countered with significant subsidies to attract price-sensitive users [16][19] Competitive Landscape Evolution - The entry of JD.com is expected to accelerate market consolidation, potentially leading to a "Meituan + JD.com" duopoly, while Ele.me may struggle due to insufficient merchant resources [25][29] Profitability and Innovation - The food delivery industry currently faces low profit margins, with platforms needing to explore new business models and technological advancements to enhance profitability [27][28] Conclusion - The ongoing competition among Meituan, JD.com, and Ele.me reflects a broader shift in the local service market, emphasizing the need for platforms to balance commercial interests with social responsibilities, ultimately benefiting consumers through improved services and safety [30][31]