Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-11-06 16:15Core Insights - Alibaba is transforming Ele.me from an independent food delivery platform into an "instant retail infrastructure" within the Taobao ecosystem, marked by the rebranding to "Taobao Flash Purchase" [2][7] - The integration aims to leverage Taobao's massive user base and traffic to enhance Ele.me's service capabilities, addressing long-standing customer acquisition cost issues [7][8] Group 1: Strategic Changes - The rebranding signifies a fundamental strategic shift, with Ele.me now positioned as a key player in Alibaba's instant retail strategy, promising "30-minute delivery for everything" [7] - The integration allows for a synergistic effect where high-frequency food delivery can drive lower-frequency retail consumption [7][8] - The new branding and operational changes are part of a broader strategy to compete effectively against Meituan and JD in the instant retail market [4][9] Group 2: Market Dynamics - The instant retail market is projected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025 and potentially 3.6 trillion yuan by 2030, attracting significant competition [8] - Alibaba's CEO of the China e-commerce division indicated that the Flash Purchase business could generate an additional 1 trillion yuan in transactions over the next three years [8] Group 3: Operational Developments - The integration includes the launch of new services such as "Taobao Convenience Store," which offers 24-hour operations and 30-minute delivery [5] - The visual rebranding to orange signifies a deeper brand identity shift, aligning with Taobao's overall branding strategy [5][7] Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Meituan and JD are also enhancing their instant retail offerings, with Meituan leveraging its local delivery network and JD focusing on its supply chain advantages [11][12] - Alibaba's strategy is seen as a defensive move against Meituan's combined "delivery + flash purchase" model, aiming to create a differentiated competitive advantage [12] Group 5: Future Challenges - Despite the promising outlook, Alibaba faces challenges in balancing cost, experience, and scale in the instant retail space [14] - Ensuring service quality and user experience during the integration process remains a critical focus for the company [16] - The upcoming Double 11 shopping festival will serve as a significant test for Alibaba's instant retail strategy and its market positioning [17]