监管部门再刹外卖“内卷”

Core Viewpoint - The regulatory authorities in China are taking action against the chaotic competition in the food delivery industry, initiating an investigation into the market competition status of food delivery platforms [1][3]. Group 1: Regulatory Actions - The State Administration for Market Regulation announced that the Office of the State Council Anti-Monopoly and Anti-Unfair Competition Committee will investigate and assess the competitive conditions in the food delivery platform service industry [1][3]. - The investigation aims to address issues such as excessive subsidies, price wars, and traffic control that have been detrimental to the real economy and have intensified "involution" competition within the industry [3]. Group 2: Industry Response - Major food delivery platforms, including Meituan, Taobao Shanguo, and JD, have expressed their support for the investigation and committed to cooperating fully with the regulatory authorities [4]. - Meituan stated that it will use this investigation as an opportunity to work with other platforms to fulfill market responsibilities and promote healthy development in the food delivery service industry [4]. Group 3: Historical Context - This is not the first time regulatory authorities have intervened in the food delivery industry; previous actions included discussions with major platforms in response to the intense competition and subsidy wars that escalated in 2025 [5][6]. - In 2025, significant subsidy investments were made by platforms, including a joint investment of 50 billion yuan by Taobao and Ele.me, and 10 billion yuan by JD [5]. Group 4: Financial Impact - The ongoing price wars have negatively impacted the profitability of major players; for instance, JD's operating profit margin fell to -0.2% in Q2 2025, down from 3.6% in the same period of 2024 [6]. - Meituan reported a net profit of 1.49 billion yuan in Q2, a staggering 89% decrease year-on-year, attributed to industry competition [6].