“史诗级”外卖大战，赶紧结束吧

Core Insights - The latest round of the food delivery war began unexpectedly on July 5, with Taobao Shanguo (in collaboration with Ele.me) launching aggressive discounts, prompting Meituan to respond with its own unprecedented subsidy campaign [1][6] - Alibaba's market power is highlighted as it showcases its financial strength through substantial subsidies, with the goal of creating a promotional event called "Super Saturday" [1][3] - The tea and coffee sectors are the biggest beneficiaries of these subsidies, with a high chain rate and low average order value allowing for effective customer reach and perception of discounts [3][4] Group 1 - Taobao Shanguo initiated significant discounts on July 5, offering multiple high-value coupons to attract new users [1] - Meituan quickly countered with its own subsidy campaign, resulting in a record daily order volume of 1.2 billion for Meituan and over 800 million for Taobao Shanguo and Ele.me [1] - The tea and coffee sectors are experiencing a surge in orders due to high chain rates, with the tea industry expected to surpass a 50% chain rate in 2024 [3][4] Group 2 - Despite the apparent increase in sales, many restaurant owners report that profits have not improved, leading to increased operational costs due to the need for more staff [6][8] - The aggressive subsidies may lead to a distorted perception of pricing among consumers, potentially harming the long-term viability of restaurants as customers may expect similar discounts in the future [7][8] - Independent coffee brands are facing challenges as the subsidies favor larger chain brands, further squeezing their market space and threatening their survival [10]