每经热评︱外卖大战硝烟散去，生态修复要从“争输赢”转向“求共赢”

Core Insights - The takeaway from the articles is that the intense competition in the food delivery industry, characterized by aggressive subsidy wars among major internet platforms, has led to a troubling situation for merchants, who are experiencing increased order volumes but declining revenues and profits [1][2]. Group 1: Industry Competition - Since April, the food delivery industry has seen a fierce "subsidy war" as major platforms use financial advantages to capture market share through significant subsidies and discounts [1] - A study of over 40,000 restaurant merchants revealed that while total daily orders increased by an average of 7% since July, the average daily revenue for merchants decreased by approximately 4% [1] - The average profit from food delivery and dine-in combined dropped by about 1.7% during the competition period, with the decline expanding to 8.9% as competition intensified [1] Group 2: Merchant Challenges - Merchants are caught in a "growth without profit" dilemma, where they must continue to offer discounts to maintain visibility on platforms, leading to a cycle of increasing orders but shrinking profits [1] - This situation not only squeezes profit margins but also diminishes merchants' ability to invest in product innovation and service improvement [1] Group 3: Platform Impacts - Platforms themselves are suffering significant losses, facing a dilemma where not providing subsidies risks losing users, while continuous subsidies exacerbate financial losses [2] - The focus of the market has shifted from service quality and consumer experience to capital consumption, leading to resource wastage and undermining the industry's innovative potential [2] Group 4: Regulatory Response - In response to these issues, regulatory bodies have begun to intervene, conducting discussions with major platforms like JD.com, Meituan, and Ele.me to promote fair competition and responsible promotional practices [2] - The goal is to create a win-win ecosystem for consumers, merchants, delivery personnel, and platforms, moving away from the current unsustainable subsidy-driven competition [2] Group 5: Future Directions - To build a sustainable ecosystem, the industry must shift from a focus on traffic to an ecological logic, emphasizing service experience, merchant profitability, and the dignity of delivery personnel [3] - Expanding market reach is essential, with platforms like Meituan and Alibaba exploring international markets to grow their user base [3][4] - Innovation must be prioritized, leveraging unique strengths to enhance product and service quality, while also improving the welfare of merchants and delivery personnel [4][5]