美团优选宣布下线，社区团购为什么做不下去？

Core Viewpoint - The recent shutdown of Meituan Youxuan and the exit of major internet companies from the "community group buying" sector highlight the challenges and declining viability of this business model, particularly in the context of changing consumer behavior and regulatory pressures [1][7]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - Community group buying, characterized by local leaders organizing purchases for neighbors, saw rapid growth during the pandemic but has faced significant challenges, including high management difficulty for fresh produce and low loyalty among group leaders [1][4]. - Meituan Youxuan peaked with coverage in over 2,000 counties, primarily in lower-tier cities, but its core user base remains in higher-tier cities, leading to a mismatch in target demographics [2][4]. - The shift in consumer preference towards immediate delivery services, such as Meituan's instant retail, has further diminished the appeal of community group buying, which relies on next-day delivery and self-pickup [6][8]. Group 2: Financial Performance - Meituan Youxuan has accumulated losses exceeding 55 billion yuan from 2022 to 2024, with high operational costs and low gross margins making it difficult to compete with local rivals [6]. - The customer acquisition cost for Meituan Youxuan was approximately 150 yuan per person in 2020, significantly higher than the 5-7 yuan for its competitor, Duoduo Maicai, indicating inefficiencies in its business model [4][5]. Group 3: Strategic Shifts - Following the decision to shut down Meituan Youxuan, the company is redirecting its focus towards its supermarket business, Xiaoxiang Supermarket, and its restaurant supply chain platform, Meituan Kuilv [8]. - The transition involves reallocating resources and personnel from Meituan Youxuan to support the growth of Xiaoxiang Supermarket, which is set to open new offline community stores in cities with proven consumer purchasing power [8].