消费时评丨告别“低价” 让即时零售回归品质和服务初心

Core Viewpoint - The Chinese Chain Operation Association has issued a proposal to regulate the instant retail market, urging platform companies to stop using covert methods to force merchants into price subsidies, and for merchants to avoid short-sighted behaviors like price competition and subsidy-driven traffic acquisition [1][2] Group 1: Market Dynamics - The "subsidy war" has become a norm in the instant retail industry, leading to a distorted competitive landscape where platforms leverage their monopolistic positions to coerce merchants into subsidies [1][2] - Merchants, while appearing to participate voluntarily, are actually trapped in a situation where "no subsidy means no traffic," undermining market fairness [1][2] - The imbalance in profit distribution, where platforms impose excessive subsidy burdens on merchants, poses a serious threat to the healthy development of the market [1] Group 2: Impact on Merchants and Consumers - Merchants engaging in the "subsidy frenzy" may experience short-term traffic boosts, but this ultimately compromises their investment in core capabilities like R&D, quality control, and service [2] - Consumers may seem to benefit from the "subsidy war," but they face hidden costs such as poor service quality and delayed deliveries as merchants cut corners to survive [2] - The reliance on subsidies dulls consumers' perception of the true value of products and services, leading to a market where quality is compromised [2] Group 3: Recommendations for Industry Health - To break the "low-price" deadlock and restore a healthy ecosystem, there needs to be a consensus on compliance and self-regulation among platforms, eliminating unfair practices like "traffic coercion" and respecting merchants' autonomy and profit margins [2][3] - Quality and service should be the foundation of instant retail, with a shift in focus towards enhancing product freshness, precise response to special needs, and strengthening trust in after-sales service [3] - The industry must move away from unsustainable subsidies towards a model based on compliance, quality, and innovation, which will enable sustainable development and market vitality [3]