外卖“多输式”商战该休矣！专家建议将定价权还给中小商家，“平台不能持续性干预线下实体经济的自主经营”

Core Viewpoint - The recent "new national standard" for food delivery platforms aims to end the ongoing "multi-loss" competition characterized by excessive subsidies, which has negatively impacted small businesses, platforms, and consumers alike [1][2][10]. Group 1: New National Standard Implementation - The "new national standard" issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation prohibits platforms from forcing merchants to purchase services or participate in promotional activities at their expense [2][11]. - The standard mandates that costs for promotional activities should be borne by the platforms themselves, ensuring transparency and protecting merchants' rights [2][5]. Group 2: Impact of Subsidy Wars - The ongoing subsidy wars have led to a situation where both platforms and small merchants experience declining profit margins, with average profits dropping by 8.9% [6][9]. - Despite an increase in order volume by 7%, the actual revenue for merchants has decreased by approximately 4% since July, indicating a trend of "increment without income" [6][9]. - The competition has resulted in a "siphoning effect," where consumers are drawn to subsidized merchants, leaving others at a disadvantage [10][11]. Group 3: Financial Performance of Platforms - Major platforms like Meituan and Alibaba reported significant losses due to increased marketing expenditures, with Meituan's operating profit loss reaching 19.8 billion yuan and Alibaba's profit declining by 85% [9][11]. - The CEO of Meituan described the price war as unsustainable and detrimental to the industry, highlighting the need for a shift away from low-quality competition [9][10]. Group 4: Regulatory Response - Regulatory bodies have intensified efforts to address the chaotic state of the food delivery market, emphasizing the need for fair competition and adherence to legal standards [11][12]. - New guidelines aim to prevent platforms from abusing their market position through excessive subsidies, which could distort market pricing [11][12].