Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-08-30 01:28Core Insights - The article discusses the financial performance of Alibaba, Meituan, and JD.com, focusing on their competition in the food delivery sector and the impact of their investments on profitability and market share [1][2]. Alibaba - Alibaba's revenue for the quarter ending June 30, 2025, was RMB 247.65 billion (approximately USD 34.57 billion), representing a 2% year-on-year increase [4][5]. - The adjusted EBITDA decreased by 11% to RMB 45.74 billion (USD 6.38 billion), primarily due to investments in "Taobao Flash Sale" and user acquisition [4][5][6]. - Net profit fell to RMB 33.51 billion, a decline of 18% year-on-year, while adjusted EBITA dropped 14% to RMB 38.84 billion (USD 5.42 billion) [5][6]. - The "Taobao Flash Sale" service launched in April 2025 contributed to a 12% increase in instant retail revenue, reaching RMB 14.78 billion (USD 2.06 billion) [8][10]. - Sales and marketing expenses surged by RMB 204 billion, accounting for 21.5% of revenue, up from 13.4% in the previous year [9][13]. - Free cash flow decreased significantly, resulting in a net outflow of RMB 188.15 billion (USD 26.26 billion) [13][14]. Meituan - Meituan reported a revenue of RMB 91.84 billion for the second quarter, an 11.7% year-on-year increase, but experienced a dramatic decline in operating profit and net profit [16][18]. - The core local commerce segment generated RMB 65.35 billion, a 7.7% increase, but operating profit dropped 75.6% to RMB 3.72 billion [17][18]. - Sales and marketing expenses rose by 51.8% to RMB 225 billion, driven by increased competition in the food delivery market [19][21]. - Meituan's app reached over 500 million monthly active users, with peak daily orders for instant retail hitting 1.5 billion [20][21]. - Cash and cash equivalents totaled RMB 1,711 billion, sufficient to cover approximately 7.6 quarters of marketing expenses [22]. JD.com - JD.com achieved a revenue of RMB 356.7 billion, a 22.4% year-on-year increase, but net profit fell by 49% due to rising costs in the food delivery sector [23][24]. - New business revenue surged by 198.8% to RMB 138.52 billion, but incurred significant losses of RMB 147.77 billion due to high operating costs [23][24]. - Marketing expenses increased by 127.6% to RMB 270 billion, primarily for promoting new business initiatives [24][25]. - JD.com reported a peak daily order volume of 25 million for its food delivery service, expanding its market presence [26][27]. - The company held cash and cash equivalents totaling RMB 2,234 billion, enough to sustain operations for approximately 8 quarters at current marketing spending levels [27][28]. Competitive Analysis - In terms of net profit decline, Alibaba experienced the least drop, while Meituan faced the most significant decline [29][30]. - Meituan's delivery revenue exceeded that of its competitors, indicating a strong market position despite financial challenges [30]. - The article suggests that Alibaba is aggressively investing in its instant retail strategy, while Meituan is focusing on defensive measures and exploring new revenue streams [31][32][33]. - JD.com is positioned to leverage its unique business model and high-value product offerings to differentiate itself in the competitive landscape [35][36].