晚点LatePost·2025-05-30 11:08Core Viewpoint - The ultimate winners of the shifting consumer habits from food delivery to instant retail are the platforms themselves [2][18]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - In May, JD and Taobao's flash purchase service, along with Ele.me, reported significant order volumes, with daily orders exceeding 20 million and 40 million respectively [3]. - The peak daily order volume for China's food delivery market is around 100 million, with Meituan handling the majority [3]. - The increase in order volume is attributed to low-price promotions and a shift of offline consumption to delivery platforms, rather than a genuine increase in consumer spending [3][4]. Group 2: Subsidy Strategies - The pressure from subsidies is becoming evident, with Meituan expecting a slowdown in revenue growth and profit decline in its core local business segment [4]. - Both Taobao's flash purchase and JD are preparing for increased competition during the 618 shopping festival, with expectations of reaching 50 million orders [5]. - Different platforms are adopting varied subsidy strategies, with Meituan focusing on specific products like "拼好饭" and "神抢手" to maintain order volume [9]. Group 3: Consumer Behavior and Product Focus - Over half of the recent growth in orders is driven by beverages like milk tea and coffee, with JD leveraging low-priced drinks to boost order volume [6][7]. - The focus on beverages is due to their lower consumption limits compared to meals, allowing for higher order frequency [7]. - The rapid increase in beverage orders has raised concerns among brands about consumer price expectations once subsidies are withdrawn [10][14]. Group 4: Future Trends - The competition is expected to shift from food delivery to instant retail, with platforms like Meituan and JD investing in this area [15][16]. - Instant retail is seen as a new battleground for e-commerce growth, with both Alibaba and JD aiming to convert food delivery users into instant retail customers [15][17]. - The evolution of consumer habits towards mobile app ordering and rapid delivery is anticipated to reshape the retail landscape [18].