Core Insights - The food delivery industry in China is undergoing significant changes as subsidies are being reduced, shifting the focus from cash-burning growth to cost efficiency in delivery operations [1][3]. Group 1: JD.Com's Strategy - JD.Com is investing heavily in automation, planning to deploy approximately 3 million delivery robots, 1 million autonomous vans, and 100,000 drones to reduce last-mile delivery costs [2][4]. - The company's five-year plan aims to automate the entire last-mile delivery process, utilizing software, sensors, and hardware instead of relying on human labor [4]. - JD's model allows for decreasing costs over time as technology improves, contrasting with the rising labor costs faced by competitors [5]. Group 2: Meituan's Challenges - Meituan continues to depend on a large workforce of nearly 7 million riders, which increases operational costs and regulatory pressures [2][5]. - The reliance on human labor makes Meituan vulnerable to inflationary pressures, as rising labor costs are hard-coded into their delivery model [5]. - Meituan is engaging in a price war by using financial resources, while JD is leveraging technological advancements to maintain competitive pricing [6].