Meituan prepares bespoke Hong Kong brand in an international push to escape cutthroat China competition

China’s largest food delivery firm is organising information sessions and recruiting couriers in Hong Kong in preparation for the launch of a new platform

The city of 7 million will likely do little for Meituan’s numbers, analysts say, but shows the company is serious about growth outside mainland China

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Meituan riders deliver takeaway food to customers on the streets of Guanzhou on February 23, 2023. Photo: SCMP / Elson Li

Published: 6:30pm, 6 Apr 2023

Chinese on-demand delivery giant Meituan is preparing to launch a new brand in Hong Kong with bespoke services catering to local consumers, potentially giving the tech firm a launch pad for international expansion as it seeks growth outside its highly competitive home market with new entrants like ByteDance’s short video app Douyin.

The Beijing-based company, which the Post reported last October had started recruiting people in Hong Kong, has been working to assemble a local team of riders since February.

The company has organised a series of information sessions for local riders, running from April 4 to 19, which offer introductions to its dedicated rider apps, service fee structure and reward programmes, according to the company’s official Telegram channel for couriers, which said it will be rolling out in Hong Kong soon.

Meituan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Food delivery in the southern city of 7 million is currently dominated by Singapore-based Foodpanda and UK-based Deliveroo, which had 76 per cent and 24 per cent of the market in the first quarter, respectively, according to data from local market researcher Measurable AI.

In an earnings call last November, Meituan CEO Wang Xing told investors that his company chose Hong Kong as the first stop in exploring international markets because the city “shares many similarities with [mainland China], including food habits”, but he also acknowledged that delivery models will vary in the two markets.