Di Yi Cai Jing·2025-08-01 06:51Core Viewpoint - The recent "crazy Saturday" delivery subsidy war is expected to be curtailed as major platforms like Meituan, Alibaba's Taobao, Ele.me, and JD.com announce plans to regulate subsidy behaviors and resist unfair competition [2][4]. Group 1: Company Responses - On August 1, Meituan, Taobao, Ele.me, and JD.com issued statements addressing the heightened social concern over delivery subsidies, labeling the recent competition as "disorderly" or "malicious" [4]. - Meituan criticized the "0 yuan purchase" subsidy strategy, while Taobao and Ele.me committed to avoiding large-scale irrational promotional activities [4]. - All platforms emphasized the importance of respecting merchants' rights to participate in subsidy activities voluntarily and maintaining their pricing autonomy [4][5]. Group 2: Regulatory Context - On July 18, the State Administration for Market Regulation held discussions with Meituan, Ele.me, and JD.com, urging them to comply with various laws and to engage in rational competition to foster a healthy ecosystem for consumers, merchants, and delivery personnel [5]. - Following the discussions, marketing strategies across platforms showed varying degrees of contraction, although variants of large subsidies continued, with merchants still bearing approximately 70% of the subsidy costs [5][6]. Group 3: Merchant Perspectives - Merchants have expressed concerns that the subsidy war has created a "false prosperity," with significant costs being passed onto them while they are pressured to participate in promotional activities [6][8]. - A representative from a chain restaurant noted that the extreme discounts have altered consumer behavior, leading to fears that once subsidies are removed, order volumes will decline sharply [6][8]. - Analysts suggest that while subsidies have effectively driven traffic, the challenge lies in retaining customers post-subsidy, indicating a shift from a "capital war" to an "efficiency war" in the competitive landscape [8].