food delivery

JD.com’s food delivery service is celebrating its first 618 shopping festival, marking rapid growth. The platform, operating in 350 cities with over 100,000 riders, reports over 25 million daily orders, driven by 1.5 million restaurant partners. Stringent measures like video verification and a 40% new partner approval rate highlight its commitment to quality and safety, positioning it as a major player in the food delivery market.

A viral hashtag, “Your Delivery Rider is Attacking Your Breakfast,” fuels online controversy about food delivery safety. Users report riders compromising orders, from theft to tampering and even contamination. Major platforms like Meituan, JD.com, and Ele.me respond by emphasizing sealed packaging and encouraging customers to report concerns.

Meituan reported strong Q1 revenue of 86.6B yuan ($11.9B), up 18% YoY, reinforcing its 65% dominance in China’s food delivery sector. CEO Wang Xing vowed to defend market leadership as JD.com injects $1.4B into its new “100 Million Subsidy” program, covering 126 cities with 300,000 partnered restaurants. While JD offers up to 25-yuan daily coupons to challenge competitors, Meituan counters with AI-driven logistics and enhanced membership benefits. Analysts suggest the rivalry may pressure margins but spur service quality improvements, accelerating industry consolidation in the $150B market.