Mei Ri Jing Ji Xin Wen·2025-08-05 16:58Core Points - The takeaway from the news is that the food delivery industry is transitioning from a price war to a focus on merchant value and quality service, as evidenced by Meituan's new support plan for small and medium-sized restaurants [1][3][4]. Group 1: Industry Changes - Meituan has launched a support plan for small and medium-sized merchants, aiming to provide financial assistance to over 100,000 restaurants by the end of the year, with individual support reaching up to 50,000 yuan [1][4]. - The recent statements from major platforms like Meituan, Ele.me, and JD.com indicate a collective move to resist harmful subsidies and promote healthy competition based on quality and service rather than price [3][6]. - The shift in competition logic signifies a critical transition from "traffic price wars" to "merchant value wars," highlighting the importance of enhancing the merchant ecosystem and user experience [3][4]. Group 2: Meituan's Initiatives - Meituan's additional investment in the support plan follows a previous 1 billion yuan initiative, which has already benefited over 300,000 merchants, with nearly half reporting significant increases in order volume [4]. - The company plans to leverage its capabilities in restaurant infrastructure and digital operations to provide further support, including helping 200,000 small shops upgrade their infrastructure and offering free AI tools to improve operational efficiency [4][9]. - Meituan's strategy aims to help merchants focus on product and service quality, moving away from the pressures of low-price competition [4][9]. Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Analysts suggest that Meituan's initiatives may prompt other platforms to increase their support for merchants, indicating rising competitive pressure from Alibaba and JD.com [5]. - JD.com has also announced a 1 billion yuan investment to recruit partners for signature dishes, aiming to enhance its quality-focused restaurant offerings [8]. - The overall industry trend is towards improving food quality and safety management, with platforms differentiating themselves through service and supply [9].