专访中国连锁经营协会会长：防止外卖大战陷入“多输困局”

Core Viewpoint - The ongoing subsidy war in the instant retail market is harming the quality of services provided by merchants, leading to a decline in consumer satisfaction and threatening the sustainable development of the industry [1][5][19]. Group 1: Industry Challenges - Instant retail platforms have engaged in aggressive promotional tactics, such as "18 off 18" and "0 yuan milk tea," resulting in significant order volumes, with Meituan reporting 1.5 billion orders on July 12 and Taobao Shanguo and Ele.me exceeding 80 million daily orders [2]. - Merchants are facing operational disruptions, profit margin compression, and declining service quality due to forced participation in price subsidies, with reported subsidy burdens ranging from 30% to over 70% [3][6]. - The average profit margin per order has decreased by 10% to 30% during subsidy campaigns, leading to increased management costs due to higher consumer complaints and compensation claims [6][7]. Group 2: Association's Initiatives - The China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA) has called for an end to forced participation in price subsidies and the use of manipulative tactics such as "traffic bias" and "search downgrading" [3][10]. - The association advocates for a shift from price competition to value competition, emphasizing the need for reasonable profit margins to avoid a vicious cycle of declining quality and consumer loss [4][14]. - The CCFA's initiatives aim to establish a healthy industry ecosystem characterized by quality service, reasonable profits, and sustainable development [14][20]. Group 3: Recommendations for Improvement - The association suggests that platforms must standardize subsidy practices, ensuring transparency in algorithms and subsidy mechanisms to protect merchants' operational autonomy [10][11]. - Merchants are encouraged to maintain quality standards and avoid practices that harm consumer rights, setting reasonable profit margins to prevent negative business cycles [11][25]. - A diversified competitive landscape is recommended, leveraging digital transformation and supply chain optimization to enhance efficiency and reduce costs [12]. Group 4: Government and Regulatory Role - Local governments are concerned about the impact of the subsidy war on sustainable industry development and consumer engagement, advocating for a balanced approach to consumption and brand interaction [9][20]. - The CCFA emphasizes the need for government oversight to ensure fair competition and to prevent harmful practices that could undermine the industry [20][22]. - The association's recommendations align with national policies aimed at boosting consumption and supporting the transformation of retail and dining sectors [15][16].