21世纪经济报道·2025-07-23 05:13Core Viewpoint - The ongoing competition among major food delivery platforms like Meituan, Taobao, and JD has led to aggressive promotional activities, significantly impacting both riders and restaurant businesses. While riders benefit from increased earnings, restaurant operators express concerns over their dependency on these platforms and the sustainability of such promotional strategies [1][5][6]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - The food delivery platforms are engaged in a fierce promotional battle, with offers such as "free milk tea" and substantial discounts driving consumer interest and sales [1][5]. - Recent promotions have resulted in record-high daily orders, with figures reaching 80 million, 120 million, and 150 million for various platforms [5]. - The market regulatory authorities have intervened, mandating platforms to cease "zero-yuan purchase" promotions and to implement stricter monitoring and price control measures [2][6]. Group 2: Impact on Stakeholders - Delivery riders have emerged as unexpected beneficiaries of the promotional war, with reports of hourly wages exceeding 100 yuan and potential monthly earnings surpassing 10,000 yuan [5]. - Restaurant operators, however, are facing challenges, as they feel their businesses are overly reliant on the platforms, which control the market dynamics [5][6]. - Regulatory bodies have emphasized the need for platforms to adhere to laws governing e-commerce and fair competition, aiming to create a balanced ecosystem for consumers, merchants, riders, and platforms [6]. Group 3: Long-term Implications - Experts warn that while the current promotional strategies may boost short-term visibility and sales for the restaurant industry, they could lead to long-term issues such as food safety risks and the emergence of opportunistic businesses [6]. - The sustainability of such aggressive discounting practices is questioned, with concerns that they may ultimately harm the overall market health [6].