https://www.scmp.com/rss/330444/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial China has the world’s largest army of gig workers, numbering 200 million. Many work long hours under harsh conditions with unpredictable pay. Beijing is now drawing up regulations to offer better protection. Hong Kong, which also has a substantial number of gig workers, will follow suit after pledging improvement last year. Those workers form the backbone of China’s rising consumer society, yet they enjoy few benefits, unlike full-time staff. Technology-driven businesses have outrun legislation,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351944/china-moves-towards-better-protecting-its-gig-workers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351944/china-moves-towards-better-protecting-its-gig-workers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong’s competition watchdog has launched a public consultation on food delivery platform Keeta’s proposed measures to ensure a fair market environment, after previously raising concerns about its exclusivity clauses. The Competition Commission said on Tuesday that it had begun consulting on three commitments offered by Keeta under Section 60 of the Competition Ordinance, which would become legally binding if accepted. The commission noted that the platform had confirmed earlier this month... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3351675/hong-kong-launches-consultation-keetas-proposal-over-competition-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3351675/hong-kong-launches-consultation-keetas-proposal-over-competition-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:11:07 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China has vowed to better protect the country’s vast gig-economy workforce, as an economic slowdown leads millions of people to sign up for delivery, ride-hailing and other informal jobs on online platforms. The 12-point plan – issued by the State Council, China’s cabinet, and the Communist Party’s powerful Central Committee – pledges stronger labour protections for “new employment groups”, or gig workers, across a number of areas. The document calls for timely and fair wage payments, a stronger... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351571/china-outlines-new-labour-protection-plan-nations-200-million-gig-workers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351571/china-outlines-new-labour-protection-plan-nations-200-million-gig-workers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Behind China’s landmark crackdown on the e-commerce and food-delivery sectors lies a darker narrative of resistance, secrecy and violence, after regulators uncovered a vast network of “ghost” bakeries and imposed a record fine on seven major platforms. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) levied a 3.6 billion yuan (US$528 million) fine on seven platforms run by PDD Holdings, Meituan, JD.com, Alibaba Group Holding and ByteDance, with the probe revealing a hidden office, violent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350891/hidden-office-fractured-bone-violent-resistance-behind-chinas-record-food-safety-fine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350891/hidden-office-fractured-bone-violent-resistance-behind-chinas-record-food-safety-fine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Ji Siqi,Coco Feng,Wency Chen Ji Siqi,Coco Feng,Wency Chen China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has levied more than 3.6 billion yuan (US$527.3 million) in fines on seven e-commerce and food delivery platforms and their representatives following an investigation, the regulator announced on Friday. SAMR said the seven platforms, which included retail and food delivery mainstays Pinduoduo (PDD), Meituan and JD.com, failed to properly verify food vendor licences and knowingly allowed unverified “ghost” catering services to operate. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350444/chinas-e-commerce-platforms-hit-36b-yuan-fine-food-safety-violations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350444/chinas-e-commerce-platforms-hit-36b-yuan-fine-food-safety-violations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:11:57 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Japanese retailers are scaling back in north China as fierce competition and weak pricing power erode profitability, forcing store closures in major cities and prompting calls for a sharper localisation strategy. Groups such as Aeon and Ito-Yokado have closed outlets in Chinese cities in recent years, highlighting mounting pressure from domestic rivals and shifting consumer habits in the region. Aeon said it closed three supermarkets in Tianjin and one in neighbouring Hebei province after March... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3348978/japanese-chains-aeon-ito-yokado-retreat-north-china-instant-retail-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3348978/japanese-chains-aeon-ito-yokado-retreat-north-china-instant-retail-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 03:00:07 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang Today, we can order food from apps and enjoy it at home, thanks to smartphones and e-payments. But long before modern vehicles and technology, ancient China had already developed a rough version of food delivery services. Historical records say that during the Han dynasty (206BC-220), an emperor once asked his officials about the living conditions of ordinary people. To conceal the fact that famine had struck the city, one official deliberately bought a bowl of meat soup from a market,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3345290/ancient-china-had-food-delivery-services-during-song-dynasty-emperors-ordered-meals-eunuchs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3345290/ancient-china-had-food-delivery-services-during-song-dynasty-emperors-ordered-meals-eunuchs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com reported a 2.7 billion yuan (US$392 million) loss in the fourth quarter and a halving of annual profit amid an ongoing food delivery battle it ignited last year. The fourth-quarter loss contrasted with a profit of 9.9 billion yuan a year earlier, marking the company’s first quarterly loss since the start of 2022, according to its earnings results on Thursday. Profit for last year dropped nearly 53 per cent to 19.6 billion yuan. However, by non-generally accepted... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345617/jdcom-posts-first-quarterly-loss-nearly-four-years-delivery-battle-takes-toll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345617/jdcom-posts-first-quarterly-loss-nearly-four-years-delivery-battle-takes-toll?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:01:45 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, sales director Sabir Ansari relied on Deliveroo almost daily for burgers and pasta delivered to his door in Singapore. Over time, the 31-year-old said, it became harder to justify the service’s costs as rival platforms such as Grab and Foodpanda offered more food options and aggressive promotions that made “delivery fees way cheaper”. “It was a no-brainer,” he said. For Deliveroo, that kind of calculation among consumers became increasingly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344705/what-deliveroos-singapore-exit-says-about-citys-food-delivery-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344705/what-deliveroos-singapore-exit-says-about-citys-food-delivery-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:51:13 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng As families across China gather for the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, pre-made dishes at their reunion dinners – the centrepiece of Spring Festival celebrations – have again come under scrutiny. Chinese households, many of which tend to reduce their budget, have increasingly been cautious, following a high-profile row over food transparency and quality involving a star influencer with millions of fans online and a national restaurant chain. “I work all year round overtime and do eat pre-made food... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343660/chinese-families-cool-pre-made-meals-lunar-new-year-after-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343660/chinese-families-cool-pre-made-meals-lunar-new-year-after-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 07:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow China’s food delivery giant Meituan on Friday warned that it expected to post a loss of up to 24.3 billion yuan (US$3.5 billion) for 2025 due to “intense industry competition”, with the slump likely to persist this year. The sharp reversal from 2024, when the company posted a profit of 35.8 billion yuan, comes on the back of one of China’s most intense price wars last year between Meituan, Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com in local e-commerce and food delivery, which only subsided after... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343538/chinas-meituan-warns-us35-billion-loss-amid-intense-food-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343538/chinas-meituan-warns-us35-billion-loss-amid-intense-food-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:15:42 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches, the Chinese government has summoned Meituan, Alibaba Group Holding, Didi Chuxing, SF Express and other logistics firms to ensure the welfare of the tens of millions of gig workers who keep the country running during the rush. The “employment administrative guidance” session, held recently by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, in coordination with six other government agencies, called on 16 major Chinese platform and logistics operators... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342989/china-calls-delivery-ride-hailing-firms-respect-gig-worker-rights-ahead-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342989/china-calls-delivery-ride-hailing-firms-respect-gig-worker-rights-ahead-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 02:37:35 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang The only full-time delivery rider in a remote county in the Tibet region of southwestern China delivers up to 200 orders a day while juggling multiple roles. Huang Kaihong, 24, who is known as “China’s loneliest rider”, works in Medog, a county of Nyingchi, once the last place in the country to be linked by a road. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas and home to fewer than 15,000 residents, Medog relies on Huang as its lifeline, keeping the community connected. In August 2024, Alibaba’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3341408/loneliest-meet-china-remote-towns-only-delivery-rider-who-completes-200-orders-daily?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3341408/loneliest-meet-china-remote-towns-only-delivery-rider-who-completes-200-orders-daily?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian More foreign companies have rolled out instant delivery services exclusively for China or upgraded to more comprehensive offerings in the country, as they vie to stand out in the highly digitalised market and cater to consumers’ strong demand for instant services. Multinationals offering instant delivery now include Swedish furniture retailer Ikea, German tyre manufacturer Continental, US warehouse-style retailer Sam’s Club and German discount supermarket chain Aldi Nord. “China leads the world... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341868/multinationals-race-chinas-us1439-billion-instant-retail-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341868/multinationals-race-chinas-us1439-billion-instant-retail-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 03:00:15 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A New Year’s Eve flash strike by gig workers in India who provide commerce connectivity, such as through 10-minute doorstep deliveries, has drawn attention to their welfare, including the risk of accidents amid physical exhaustion. More than 200,000 gig workers staged protests across major Indian cities during the peak delivery period to highlight their demands for legislative protection, social security benefits and better wages, according to the Indian Federation of App Based Transport... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339617/gig-workers-strike-india-spurs-debate-human-cost-delivery-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339617/gig-workers-strike-india-spurs-debate-human-cost-delivery-race?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:46:24 +0000 Ji Siqi,Sylvia Ma Ji Siqi,Sylvia Ma China has launched a market competition probe and assessment for its food delivery platforms, the State Council announced on Friday, a move analysts said was an affirmation of the country’s determination to continue to combat self-defeating competition. “Recently, issues such as excessive subsidies, price wars and control over traffic flow in the online food delivery platform service industry have become prominent,” according to a statement issued by the Anti-Monopoly and Anti-Unfair Competition... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339342/china-probe-food-delivery-platforms-under-anti-monopoly-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339342/china-probe-food-delivery-platforms-under-anti-monopoly-law?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:17:12 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang – https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3338984/price-wars-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3338984/price-wars-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 02:55:43 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Alibaba Group’s logistics arm Cainiao and online grocery business Tmall Supermarket are teaming up to expand fulfilment infrastructure and speed up deliveries, as the Chinese e-commerce giant ramps up its efforts in China’s fast-growing instant commerce battle to fend off rivals such as JD.com and Meituan. Cainiao will launch new or expand instant commerce warehouses for Tmall Supermarket across 31 mainland Chinese cities by the end of January 2026, it said in a statement on Thursday. Alibaba... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337029/need-speed-alibaba-ramps-china-instant-commerce-push-cainiao-and-tmall-tie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337029/need-speed-alibaba-ramps-china-instant-commerce-push-cainiao-and-tmall-tie?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:15:09 +0000 Wency Chen,Ann Cao Wency Chen,Ann Cao China’s food-delivery giant Meituan swung to a deep quarterly loss, as a costly battle with Alibaba Group Holding’s instant commerce business eroded margins and kept revenue growth modest. The Beijing-based company on Friday reported revenue of 95.5 billion yuan (US$13.3 billion) for the three months to September, up 2 per cent year on year, missing analysts' estimates of 97.5 billion yuan. However, it booked an operating loss of 19.8 billion yuan, compared with a 13.7 billion yuan operating... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3334568/meituan-slides-loss-milk-tea-subsidy-war-instant-commerce-rival-alibaba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3334568/meituan-slides-loss-milk-tea-subsidy-war-instant-commerce-rival-alibaba?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 13:36:44 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial As one of the world’s freest economies, Hong Kong knows that fair competition brings better quality, prices and choices. But for consumers and businesses, they care more about good deals and profits rather than whether the market environment is a level playing field. That is why individual industries can still be tainted by antitrust behaviour. Credit goes to the Competition Commission for curbing what appears to be an abuse of market power in the online food delivery service. Following... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3333651/keetas-fair-play-pledge-will-end-benefit-hong-kong-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3333651/keetas-fair-play-pledge-will-end-benefit-hong-kong-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 22:45:12 +0000 Oscar Liu,Lam Ka-sing Oscar Liu,Lam Ka-sing Hongkongers could see cheaper meals and a healthier food delivery market after the city’s antitrust watchdog stepped in to curb unfair practices by a dominant platform, according to restaurant operators. They said on Thursday that Keeta’s pledge to lift restrictions on partnering restaurants would allow them to lower prices and foster more competition, all while benefiting consumers and businesses. Aman Kwok, the second-generation owner of the 50-seat Kam Shing Restaurant in Shau Kei Wan, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3332639/cheaper-meals-menu-after-delivery-giant-keeta-vows-play-fair-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3332639/cheaper-meals-menu-after-delivery-giant-keeta-vows-play-fair-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 09:27:05 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding is rebranding its Chinese food delivery platform Ele.me as Taobao Shangou, aligning the service more closely with its flagship e-commerce ecosystem, as the company seeks to enhance synergy across its consumer businesses. A logo of the beta version of the updated app, available to select users, adopts Taobao’s signature orange colour, according to screenshots seen on Chinese social media. The move aligns with Alibaba’s recent efforts to phase out Ele.me’s original branding,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3331469/alibaba-rebrands-food-delivery-app-eleme-taobao-shangou-instant-retail-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3331469/alibaba-rebrands-food-delivery-app-eleme-taobao-shangou-instant-retail-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 09:00:16 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Alibaba Group Holding on Friday unveiled a 2 billion yuan (US$281 million) investment as part of a programme that will see a network of Taobao-branded convenience stores across China support the operations of the firm’s instant commerce and on-demand delivery business. Rather than establishing Taobao Shangou’s own bricks-and-mortar shops, the programme would primarily provide existing convenience stores with a tech facelift, leveraging Alibaba’s digital infrastructure, according to Hu Qiugen,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3331175/alibaba-expands-instant-commerce-efforts-us281-million-taobao-convenience-store-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3331175/alibaba-expands-instant-commerce-efforts-us281-million-taobao-convenience-store-push?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 01:00:18 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A 38-year-old man in Japan has been arrested on suspicion of fraud after exploiting loopholes in a major food delivery platform, resulting in losses exceeding 3.7 million yen (US$24,000). Authorities in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, apprehended Takuya Higashimoto in early October for making 1,095 orders from a food delivery service, consuming all the food, yet managing to evade payment, according to reports from Japan Times. His method involved selecting contactless delivery through the platform and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3328881/japanese-man-exploits-delivery-platform-refund-policy-eats-1000-free-meals-over-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3328881/japanese-man-exploits-delivery-platform-refund-policy-eats-1000-free-meals-over-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng HungryPanda, the overseas food delivery platform specialising in Chinese and Asian food, is closely watching the price wars in China between rivals like Meituan and Alibaba Group Holding, a company executive said. However, HungryPanda operated in markets with “less price sensitive” consumers who had “high spending power”, according to Kitty Lu, the company’s director of public affairs. This year, competition in China’s on-demand services market, long dominated by Meituan, has intensified with... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3328011/hungrypanda-watching-chinas-food-price-wars-says-its-customers-less-price-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3328011/hungrypanda-watching-chinas-food-price-wars-says-its-customers-less-price-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Alibaba Group Holding said the destination ranking feature in its Amap mapping service has racked up 400 million users since being launched last month, as the tech giant doubles down on efforts to challenge rival delivery platform Meituan in local services. Amap Street Stars, launched on September 10 to provide artificial intelligence-based rankings for restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions, has so far been used by 400 million users, nearly half of Amap’s monthly active users, Alibaba said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327794/alibabas-amap-hits-400-million-users-new-ai-ranking-feature-local-services-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327794/alibabas-amap-hits-400-million-users-new-ai-ranking-feature-local-services-push?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:21:36 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li As Super Typhoon Ragasa barrels down on southern China, the country’s tech and manufacturing hub has gone into emergency lockdown mode. With the highest alert level declared, officials in Shenzhen – the southern manufacturing powerhouse with a reputation as China’s Silicon Valley – sounded the alarm for “wartime readiness”. Residents responded by scrambling to stockpile supplies, boarding up or taping windows, and bracing for what forecasters are saying could be one of the most ferocious storms... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326584/wartime-readiness-shenzhen-scrambles-super-typhoon-ragasa-nears-chinas-tech-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326584/wartime-readiness-shenzhen-scrambles-super-typhoon-ragasa-nears-chinas-tech-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:30:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Alibaba Group Holding’s competition with Meituan is expanding from instant commerce into the bricks-and-mortar market, as the Hangzhou-based tech conglomerate prepares to offer discounted in-store dining vouchers to consumers on the mainland. That new initiative is expected to start on Saturday in selected districts in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Jiaxing, a city in eastern Zhejiang province, according to a report on Friday by local media outlet LatePost, which cited unnamed sources. Alibaba, owner of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326190/alibaba-meituan-battle-heats-rivalry-expands-store-dining-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326190/alibaba-meituan-battle-heats-rivalry-expands-store-dining-report?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:00:14 +0000 Coco Feng,Wency Chen Coco Feng,Wency Chen Since April, mainland Chinese consumers have been spoiled for choice, as instant commerce competition brought dazzling promotional subsidies and speedy deliveries right to their doorsteps. Instant commerce – a turbocharged combination of online shopping and swift dispatch – had already made a typical lunchbox order cost around US$1 or US$2, which covered the food and the delivery fee. On-demand delivery giant Meituan’s “Grouping for Good Meals” campaign, for example, offered a four-dish set meal... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325354/how-chinas-retail-market-evolving-amid-alibaba-and-meituans-instant-commerce-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325354/how-chinas-retail-market-evolving-amid-alibaba-and-meituans-instant-commerce-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 02:06:12 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao More than 40 million Amap users logged on to test its artificial intelligence-powered ranking service, as Alibaba Group Holding’s answer to Google Maps started ranking mainland destinations and providing recommendations for 1.6 million establishments. Amap Street Stars – which uses AI algorithms to rank destinations including restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions – recorded that many users on its launch on Wednesday, as the mapping app positioned itself as a gateway for lifestyle services,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325225/amap-alibabas-answer-google-maps-sees-over-40-million-users-test-new-ranking-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325225/amap-alibabas-answer-google-maps-sees-over-40-million-users-test-new-ranking-service?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 02:00:15 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding has fired another shot at on-demand delivery giant Meituan, with a campaign that brings merchants from its Tmall business-to-consumer shopping platform onto its Taobao Instant Commerce site. The campaign – dubbed “Jishigou”, which translates to instant purchase in Chinese – has seen more than 260 brands on Alibaba’s Tmall premium retail platform join its instant commerce service, the company said on Tuesday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Taobao Shangou,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3324924/alibaba-mobilises-merchants-premium-tmall-site-join-instant-commerce-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3324924/alibaba-mobilises-merchants-premium-tmall-site-join-instant-commerce-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:17:10 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Meituan CEO Wang Xing is rallying employees around the firm’s instant commerce efforts, overseas expansion and greater social security for delivery workers, more than a week after reporting a sharp fall in second-quarter earnings amid a bruising price war with Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com. In his all-hands letter to staff over the weekend that was widely shared online, Wang said Meituan had served more than 770 million users over the past 12 months through the 14.5 million merchants on its... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3324766/meituan-rallies-employees-around-expansion-plans-job-prospects-amid-bruising-delivery-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3324766/meituan-rallies-employees-around-expansion-plans-job-prospects-amid-bruising-delivery-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:00:14 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov On-demand local services giant Meituan has become the latest Chinese Big Tech company to release an open-source large language model (LLM) to market, more than two years after it acquired mainland AI start-up Light Year for US$281 million. Beijing-based Meituan, the long-standing leader of China’s food delivery market, on Monday released and open-sourced its own LLM, called LongCat-Flash-Chat, via artificial intelligence developer platforms Hugging Face and GitHub, as well as the model’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3324072/chinese-delivery-giant-meituan-unleashes-open-source-ai-model-take-alibaba-deepseek?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3324072/chinese-delivery-giant-meituan-unleashes-open-source-ai-model-take-alibaba-deepseek?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:00:21 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Alibaba Group Holding jumped the most in more than three years, with the surge driven by optimism that the e-commerce juggernaut will survive cutthroat competition in on-demand delivery and that its artificial intelligence segment is gaining further traction. The stock surged 19 per cent to HK$137.10 on Monday, its biggest gain since March 16, 2022. It was also the best performer in the Hang Seng Index, which rose 2.2 per cent. Alibaba’s American depositary receipts (ADRs) jumped 13 per cent to... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3323907/alibaba-rises-most-3-years-outlook-demand-delivery-and-cloud-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3323907/alibaba-rises-most-3-years-outlook-demand-delivery-and-cloud-business?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 09:00:17 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding has won “consumer mindshare” amid its instant commerce push, according to company executives and analysts, to regain growth momentum in the highly competitive domestic market. The Chinese tech conglomerate’s New York-listed shares jumped 13 per cent to close at US$135 on Friday, after reporting robust earnings growth in the June quarter on the back of confidence on the mainland’s instant commerce sector. On Friday’s earnings call, Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3323775/alibaba-sees-strong-consumer-mindshare-reviving-e-commerce-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3323775/alibaba-sees-strong-consumer-mindshare-reviving-e-commerce-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Chinese on-demand local services giant Meituan said its second-quarter earnings fell sharply, as it faced off against Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com in a costly delivery price war. Meituan’s management, however, said on Wednesday’s earnings call that the company would not be “greatly affected by a short-term price war”, highlighting its operational efficiency. Still, the management said the company would continue to prioritise growth over profitability in instant commerce. They also projected... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3323379/meituan-sales-weaken-profit-plummets-amid-irrational-instant-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3323379/meituan-sales-weaken-profit-plummets-amid-irrational-instant-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:12:43 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg JD.com’s revenue grew a faster-than-anticipated 22 per cent in the June quarter, benefiting from government-directed consumer subsidies as well as an aggressive drive into new arenas such as food delivery. The Nasdaq-listed shares of China’s top online retailer by revenue rose about 1 per cent in pre-market US trading. The Beijing-based company reported sales of 356.7 billion yuan (US$49.7 billion) for the quarter ended June 30, about 6 per cent above projections. Net income halved to 6.2... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321900/jdcom-quarterly-sales-beat-expectations-food-delivery-foray-cuts-profit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321900/jdcom-quarterly-sales-beat-expectations-food-delivery-foray-cuts-profit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 12:24:39 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng The daily delivery volume of Alibaba Group Holding briefly surpassed rival Meituan last week after it offered free drinks to customers who ordered through its on-demand service amid the industry’s cutthroat competition, according to a report by the technology media outlet LatePost. Orders on Alibaba’s instant commerce channel Taobao Shangou topped 100 million on Thursday, 20 million fewer than Meituan. After Meituan stopped its promotion on Friday and Saturday, Taobao’s orders overtook... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3321583/alibaba-tops-meituans-china-demand-delivery-fuelled-1-million-cups-tea-daily?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3321583/alibaba-tops-meituans-china-demand-delivery-fuelled-1-million-cups-tea-daily?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Coco Feng,Ann Cao Coco Feng,Ann Cao Shanghai delivery rider Xie Yu was halfway through his shift on Thursday when he realised he would end up with nearly 100 orders for the whole day, double his average number. The reason for the huge spike? Chinese consumers were lapping up offers of free drinks and discounted meals from food delivery giants Alibaba Group Holding and Meituan. “This is one of the craziest days I’ve experienced since I became a rider,” said Xie, 39, who has worked for both Alibaba’s Ele.me and Meituan over the past... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321235/how-alibaba-and-meituan-are-fighting-customers-one-free-drink-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321235/how-alibaba-and-meituan-are-fighting-customers-one-free-drink-time?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s online marketplace Taobao has launched a new membership system that integrates various services from the firm’s other apps, aiming to create synergies and drive growth across the company’s expansive ecosystem. The loyalty programme, free of charge, offers users a range of benefits from Taobao, on-demand delivery service Ele.me, online travel agency Fliggy, grocery chain Freshippo, and online mapping and ride-hailing service Amap. It was open to about 1 billion users on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320969/alibabas-taobao-debuts-multi-tier-loyalty-scheme-offering-shopping-discounts-hotel-perks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320969/alibabas-taobao-debuts-multi-tier-loyalty-scheme-offering-shopping-discounts-hotel-perks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 13:00:20 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding is set to launch a new membership programme spanning a range of services from an online marketplace to food delivery and travel booking, according to Chinese media reports and a person with knowledge of the matter, as the tech giant strives to recapture its leading position in China’s competitive e-commerce market. Alibaba’s e-commerce group, led by Jiang Fan, will provide members of Taobao – China’s largest online marketplace – with subsidised access to various other... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320855/alibaba-seeks-reclaim-e-commerce-dominance-china-cross-service-loyalty-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320855/alibaba-seeks-reclaim-e-commerce-dominance-china-cross-service-loyalty-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Meituan and JD.com are taking China’s delivery war to another level, as the two instant commerce rivals have started building thousands of central kitchens in strategic locations to speed up fulfilment of online food orders. On-demand local delivery giant Meituan is expected to continue leading the market through its launch of 1,200 so-called Raccoon Restaurants over the next three years, a plan it revealed early last month. These facilities are designed as food court-like hubs that host various... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3320325/chinas-delivery-war-intensifies-meituan-jdcom-build-central-kitchens-takeaways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3320325/chinas-delivery-war-intensifies-meituan-jdcom-build-central-kitchens-takeaways?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 23:00:15 +0000 Hannah Wang Hannah Wang ByteDance’s Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, is set to heat up competition in China’s instant commerce sector against Alibaba Group Holding, JD.com and Meituan with the merger of its online shopping platform and instant delivery service, according to a report by Chinese tech news website 36Kr on Wednesday. Douyin Supermarket, akin to TikTok Shop, is integrating with Douyin Hourly Delivery, which leverages precise mapping and location services to ensure rapid deliveries to consumers,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320146/bytedances-douyin-takes-alibaba-meituan-and-jdcom-chinas-instant-delivery-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320146/bytedances-douyin-takes-alibaba-meituan-and-jdcom-chinas-instant-delivery-race?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on Friday summoned major online food delivery platforms – Alibaba Group Holding’s Ele.me, Meituan, and JD.com – urging them to engage in “rational” competition amid a prolonged price war. The meeting aimed to “further regulate promotion behaviours, encourage rational competition, and foster a healthy ecosystem and win-win situation for consumers, merchants, delivery riders, and platform operators”, the regulator said in an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318843/chinas-top-market-regulator-summons-alibaba-meituan-jdcom-over-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318843/chinas-top-market-regulator-summons-alibaba-meituan-jdcom-over-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 05:30:11 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang A Meituan executive said the company had no choice but to join the latest round of what he called “irrational competition” against rivals JD.com and Alibaba Group Holding in China’s instant delivery sector, even though the blizzard of discounts being offered to woo buyers had become disconnected from business fundamentals. “We didn’t want to take part in [the price war], as we don’t think it makes sense,” Wang Puzhong, head of Beijing-based Meituan’s core local commerce business, said in an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318580/meituan-executive-bemoans-irrational-instant-commerce-price-war-alibaba-jdcom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318580/meituan-executive-bemoans-irrational-instant-commerce-price-war-alibaba-jdcom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 11:00:16 +0000 Hannah Wang Hannah Wang Alibaba Group Holding will roll out a programme called “Super Saturdays” over the next 100 days to lure more consumers to its platform, while escalating a price war against Meituan and JD.com in the mainland’s on-demand delivery services market. Under Alibaba’s instant commerce brand Taobao Shangou, “Super Saturdays” would offer consumers up to 188 yuan (US$26) in subsidies for the purchase and delivery of low-cost goods such as milk tea and breakfast meals, according to a report by state-owned... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318322/alibaba-roll-out-super-saturdays-event-chinas-demand-delivery-market-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318322/alibaba-roll-out-super-saturdays-event-chinas-demand-delivery-market-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:00:14 +0000 Hannah Wang Hannah Wang Alibaba Group Holding tied its own record of 80 million on-demand deliveries on Saturday, the e-commerce giant reported on Monday, as it wages an all-out battle against rivals Meituan and JD.com in China’s quick-delivery market – with freebies and eye-popping discounts as the ammunition. Alibaba’s new instant commerce brand Taobao Shangou said its daily active users last week jumped 15 per cent from the previous week, which would put number at around 230 million, though the company did not... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318125/alibaba-delivers-80-million-orders-1-day-amid-fierce-price-war-meituan-jdcom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318125/alibaba-delivers-80-million-orders-1-day-amid-fierce-price-war-meituan-jdcom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 07:00:25 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Meituan, mainland China’s top on-demand delivery giant, said on Sunday that daily orders on its platform have surged to another all-time high – a sign that the company has managed to fend off competition from rivals like JD.com and Alibaba Group Holding. The Beijing-based company said daily transactions had reached 150 million, just days after surpassing 120 million last week. The firm’s record daily orders for both food and retail goods delivery comes at a time when major Chinese e-commerce... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3318028/meituans-daily-orders-hit-record-150-million-amid-heated-battle-jdcom-and-alibaba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3318028/meituans-daily-orders-hit-record-150-million-amid-heated-battle-jdcom-and-alibaba?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 06:21:25 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen JD.com has pledged more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) under its ambitious “Double Hundred Plan” to support so-called benchmark brands across various categories, further heating up China’s on-demand delivery sector, as industry-wide daily orders reached a new high of more than 200 million. The Beijing-based e-commerce giant’s latest initiative seeks to elevate sales of select brands beyond one million items on its platform via measures that include increased traffic, marketing incentives... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3317584/jdcoms-us14-billion-plan-heats-demand-delivery-battle-meituan-alibaba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3317584/jdcoms-us14-billion-plan-heats-demand-delivery-battle-meituan-alibaba?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:00:26 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding’s instant commerce service announced on Wednesday a substantial subsidy programme totalling 50 billion yuan (US$7 billion) over the next 12 months for both consumers and merchants, intensifying the fierce competition in China’s on-demand delivery sector, where JD.com and Meituan are also major players. Consumers using Taobao’s in-app Shangou service, the instant commerce business of Alibaba, will enjoy significant incentives, including cash vouchers, free purchase coupons,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3316646/alibabas-us7-billion-subsidy-deepens-chinas-instant-e-commerce-war-jdcom-meituan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3316646/alibabas-us7-billion-subsidy-deepens-chinas-instant-e-commerce-war-jdcom-meituan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:00:10 +0000