Chang Sha Wan Bao·2025-12-07 14:15Core Viewpoint - The transformation of Ele.me into Taobao Flash Purchase marks a significant strategic shift for Alibaba in the instant retail sector, reflecting its commitment to becoming a comprehensive consumer platform [1][6]. Group 1: Brand Transformation - The rebranding from Ele.me's blue to Taobao Flash Purchase's orange has evoked emotional responses from users, highlighting the brand's 17-year history and its integration into various life scenarios [2][3]. - The updated app retains the blue "Ele.me" text while introducing the orange "Taobao Flash Purchase" as the main icon, ensuring a seamless transition for users [2][3]. - The app now offers a wider range of services beyond food delivery, including supermarket convenience, flowers, groceries, and medical supplies, while maintaining previous user data and order history [2][3]. Group 2: Strategic Intent - Alibaba aims to break the mental association of Ele.me with food delivery, expanding into a broader instant retail market through a combination of instant retail and e-commerce [4][5]. - The brand transformation is seen as a necessary step to support the growth of low-frequency businesses like instant retail, which can benefit from the high-frequency nature of food and fresh delivery [4][5]. Group 3: Market Performance - Recent data indicates that Taobao Flash Purchase has achieved a peak of 120 million daily orders, with over 300 million monthly active users, reflecting significant growth in the instant retail sector [5][6]. - The revenue from instant retail has increased by 60% year-on-year, with a notable reduction in average losses per order since July, indicating improved operational efficiency [5][6]. Group 4: Future Outlook - The rebranding is part of Alibaba's broader strategy to position itself as a major player in the consumer services market, with plans for further integration of Ele.me and other services into its e-commerce ecosystem [6][7]. - The shift towards a comprehensive consumer platform is expected to enhance Alibaba's competitive edge in the evolving landscape of instant retail, moving from price competition to ecosystem competition [6][7].