MoonFox Data Releases New Report: Instant Retail Becomes the Next Battleground as JD.com and Meituan Intensify Food Delivery Competition in China

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MoonFox Data's report reveals how China's instant retail sector is entering a new phase of fierce competition, with JD.com and Meituan at the forefront, leveraging food delivery as a critical driver of user growth and market expansion in 2025.
Shenzhen, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- [Shenzhen, China] – [June 3, 2025] – MoonFox Data, a leading provider of market intelligence and data analytics, today released its latest report, 'Instant Retail Remains a Long-Term Battle, and the Food Delivery Battle Is Just the Beginning.' The report reveals how China's instant retail sector is entering a new phase of fierce competition, with JD.com and Meituan at the forefront, leveraging food delivery as a critical driver of user growth and market expansion in 2025.
In 2025, JD.com and Meituan engaged in several rounds of online "cross-platform jabs" over their food delivery services. Topics such as "Food Delivery Battle" and "Meituan Issues Another Statement" trended on social media. Amid the ensuing "war of words" and mounting public debate, both platforms' ambitions in the "instant retail" space were laid bare.
Tracing back their development, it is evident that JD.com and Meituan have been investing in instant retail for over a decade. As early as 2018, Meituan internally launched the "Flash Sale" brand focused on instant delivery of retail items. However, after 7 years and multiple rounds of fierce competition in community group purchase, "Meituan Flash Sale" was only officially launched as an independent brand in 2025. Meanwhile, from 2015 to 2023, JD.com steadily bolstered its capabilities in supply chain, digitalization, and logistics. By integrating diverse service segments, including JD Health, JD Car Care, and convenience supermarkets, the company established a robust localized service chain. In 2024, building on this integrated capacity, JD.com officially unveiled "JD Instant Delivery" as its flagship instant delivery service.
Table 1: Development History of Instant Retail Business on Various Platforms
JD.com
Meituan
2015: Launched "JD Home Delivery" service
2018: Internally launched "Meituan Flash Sale"
\
2019: Launched "Meituan Vegetable Shopping", rapidly expanding into first-tier cities and entering the community group purchase market
2021: JD.com and DADA jointly launched "JD Hourly Purchase"
2020: In July, launched "Meituan Selected" to capture community e-commerce in lower-tier markets In September, began deploying "Meituan Flash Warehouse" in first-tier cities
2022: JD became the controlling shareholder of DADA Group
Upgraded "Meituan Vegetable Shopping" to "Xiaoxiang Supermarket" in December 2023, expanding supply from fresh produce to daily retail goods
2024: Integrated "JD Hourly Delivery", "JD Home Delivery", etc., and launched "JD Instant Delivery" with a primary entrance on the JD homepage in May JD's fresh food business "7FRESH" opened its first pre-warehouse in Beijing and commenced operations in September
2024: Xiaoxiang Supermarket increased its proportion of self-operated products, benchmarking against Freshippo and Sam's Club, featuring single-portion/small-quantity offerings for differentiation Meituan initiated a "Ten Thousand Warehouses for Thousand Cities" network layout; by October, the number of Flash Warehouses exceeded 30,000
2025: Launched food delivery on the JD platform in February Rebranded "JD Vegetable Shopping" to "JD 7FRESH" in March, transitioning to a platform model to offer fresh food access from Sam's Club, Pagoda, Dingdong Vegetable Shopping, and others JD launched "Self-operated Instant Delivery" e-commerce service in April; over 100,000 JD-branded offline stores have connected to Instant Delivery; Starbucks Delivery and HLA Group officially came on board
Official launch of Meituan Flash Sale as an independent brand in April 2025
Data Source: Public information, compiled by MoonFox Research Institute
I. Instant Retail Shows Strong Potential, but Sustained Survival Remains Challenging
To begin with, it's essential to clarify the concepts of local life services and instant retail: Local life services refer to the use of online channels to display information about local brick-and-mortar businesses, with transactions completed offline services (through in-store visits or home). This model emphasizes "geographic relevance". Instant retail, as a key component of local life services, involves delivering products from local retail models (such as supermarkets, warehouses, and storefronts) directly to consumers through same-city delivery. It covers a wide range of categories, including food & beverages, fresh produce, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. Services like hourly delivery, half-day delivery, community group purchase, and food delivery all fall within the scope of instant retail. Its high time sensitivity is the key factor distinguishing it from traditional e-commerce and parcel delivery.
The local life services sector is constantly seeing the emergence of new entrants. However, most of these newcomers tend to focus on "in-store" business models rather than delivery-heavy services, as the latter demand robust and fast-changing delivery ecosystems that many find difficult to sustain.
For example, Douyin launched "Beckoning Food Delivery" in 2021 and formed strategic partnerships with service providers like Ele.me, DADA, and SF Express. However, after lukewarm results, Douyin Life Services pivoted its local service strategy to focus on the business from group purchase to in-store visits. Kwai trialed food delivery through selected local life service merchants in 2023 but did not scale up, maintaining its focus on in-store deals of group purchase. DiDi attempted to launch food delivery twice in China but failed both times and has since shifted its food delivery ambitions to overseas markets in 2025. Community group purchase brands like Nice Tuan, Chengxin Selected and MissFresh shut down around 2023 due to operational difficulties...
Despite these setbacks, instant retail still holds vast potential within China, especially in lower-tier markets.
Industry statistics show that in 2024, China's instant retail market reached approximately RMB 780 billion, accounting for only 6% of total online retail of physical goods. The market distribution between major cities and county-level areas is roughly 7:3. By 2030, the market is expected to surpass RMB 2 trillion.
Table 2: Instant Retail Market Growth in China (2018 - 2030)
Year
Instant Retail Market Transaction Volume (RMB 100 million)
Transaction Volume YoY Growth
Share of Online Retail Transaction Volume of Physical Goods
2018
690
88
%
1.0
%
2019
1,180
71
%
1.4
%
2020
2,150
82
%
2.3
%
2021
2,350
9
%
2.2
%
2022
5,040
114
%
4.5
%
2023
6,500
29
%
5.3
%
2024
7,800
20
%
6.0
%
2025E
10,030
29
%
7.1
%
2026E
11,750
17
%
7.7
%
2023E
20,000
\
10.1
%
Data Source: Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, National Bureau of Statistics, Reports from SDIC Securities, compiled by MoonFox Research Institute.
II. Platforms Face Growth Anxiety and Urgently Need New Growth Curves
For JD.com, local life services remain fertile ground with significant untapped potential. Among them, instant retail, characterized by high purchase frequency and rapid conversion, is undoubtedly a critical lever for driving business growth and attracting UV.
Table 3: Comparison of Different Retail Models (In Terms of Profitability Efficiency: Instant Retail > Traditional E-commerce > Offline Retail)
Type
Instant Retail
Traditional E-commerce
In-store Visits of Group Purchase
Offline Retail
Consumer Behavior
Place order online, with hourly delivery or flash delivery
Place order online → shipped via express → received
Order online, redeem in-store
Browse and purchase in-store, offline payment
B2B Requirements
High-frequency demand; rich product supply is essential Low return rate Instant fulfillment
High-frequency demand High return rate Long fulfillment cycle
Pre-purchase vouchers Redemption rates fluctuate Unstable fulfillment window
Low-frequency demand Low return rate Instant fulfillment
Traditional e-commerce has passed its high-growth phase. In recent years, large-scale promotional events such as "618" and "D11" have lost their earlier traction, signaling consumer fatigue towards excessive discounting and promotional gimmicks. In response, e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, JD.com, and Vipshop have extended promotional periods and introduced "Billion-RMB Subsidy" to maintain total sales growth. However, Pinduoduo's rapid rise and the increasing competitiveness of emerging e-commerce platforms like Douyin and Kwai have created new challenges. JD.com's dominance, particularly in the electronics product category, is now under threat from multiple fronts.
During Meituan's Q3 2024 financial report audio conference, founder Wang Xing commented on industry trends, stating that instant retail will eventually account for over 10% of the total e-commerce market, and that Meituan Flash Sale's growth has exceeded expectations. The 2024 financial report noted: "In 2024, 'Meituan Flash Warehouses' experienced significant growth, particularly in lower-tier markets, where they have become a key growth channel for many retailers. A number of major traditional retail companies have adopted 'Meituan Flash Warehouse' model... As our instant delivery business expands, we remain committed to building a sustainable ecosystem."
According to Meituan's financial reports from 2022 to 2024, the platform's gross profit margin has grown by over 30% YoY for three consecutive years, with its gross margin increasing from 28% to 38%. Core local services revenue maintained a YoY growth rate exceeding 20%, and new business income continued to accelerate. Although Meituan Flash Sale had not yet officially launched, it was repeatedly highlighted in annual financial reports over the past 5 years as a key growth engine for the platform.
III. JD.com's Surprise PR Offensive: Rapid Expansion into Meituan's Core Territory
In early April, JD.com CEO Xu Ran stated in an interview with 36Kr that the food delivery business could help JD.com increase both user base and purchase frequency, extending its service scenarios.
On April 15, a leaked 7-minute internal meeting audio recording of Liu Qiangdong revealed his views on the domestic food delivery industry: Food delivery platform commissions can reach as high as 25% (sometimes over 30%), which he attributed to monopolistic practices that force small and medium-sized merchants to cut food quality, negatively impacting the consumer experience. He also proposed differentiated insurance policies for full-time and part-time couriers to better safeguard their rights.
As early as 2022, Meituan's financial report showed that its food delivery business had reached a peak of over 60 million orders per day. Although there is still a significant gap in order volume between the two platforms, JD Food Delivery achieved over 10 million in a single day on April 22, reflecting rapid growth.
Comparing the daily new user growth for merchant and courier platforms since the start of 2025, JD Instant Delivery Merchant Edition and DADA Instant Delivery Courier Edition apps saw a UV surge. According to MoonFox Data, JD Instant Delivery Merchant Edition app peaked in daily new user numbers on April 24. Both platform initiatives and market responses clearly indicate that JD is making a bold incursion into Meituan's food delivery "stronghold".
Table 4: New Daily User Growth on Merchant & Courier Platforms (2025)
Average Daily New Users
Meituan Food Delivery Merchant Edition App
Meituan Courier Edition App
Meituan Crowdsourcing
DADA Instant Delivery Courier Edition App
JD Instant Delivery Merchant Edition App
January
13,236
18,069
18,624
12,345
2,671
February
14,186
26,081
33,413
69,820
45,454
March
16,606
23,781
34,178
47,042
50,499
April
17,256
21,021
31,207
181,658
64,538
Data Source: MoonFox iApp, Data Cycle: January 1, 2025 - April 27, 2025
For users, switching between food delivery apps has low friction. With a clear intent to order, pricing and delivery time are often the only decisive factors. Last summer, Ele.me attracted UV via its "Answer to Win Free Meal" campaign, which relied on extremely low discounts and simple, engaging interactions. While Meituan launched "Meal Group Buying", significantly lowering average order value to retain users through volume sales, though at the cost of some dining experience. In addition, Ele.me also tied its premium membership to Taobao's 88VIP, leveraging high member stickiness from Taobao to boost Ele.me order frequency.
For platforms, the fast migration of users and high usage frequency makes food delivery the best UV lever for JD.com to grow its instant retail business. But before that, onboarding a large number of restaurant merchants and recruiting a sufficient courier fleet are essential. Since launching JD Food Delivery on February 11, the platform has used a range of PR tactics to become a major industry topic, quickly moving beyond its cold start into a phase of explosive growth.
Late February: JD took the lead in advocating reform in the food delivery sector, focusing on courier welfare. This proactive stance gave JD the upper hand in the initial "war of words". With value-driven messaging and concrete policy support, JD.com gained public recognition and courier endorsement.
In April, JD.com and Meituan entered a second round of confrontation. JD.com issued an open letter condemning Meituan's various "misdeeds" and simultaneously rolled out new support policies and promotional benefits, once again pushing "JD Food Delivery" into the spotlight across the internet. The following day, "Liu Qiangdong Takes on Food Delivery" showcased JD's strong commitment to developing its food delivery business. With a light-hearted and humorous public image, Liu won over netizens, who jokingly dubbed his delivery persona "GG Bond". This, coupled with the platform's swift marketing response, sparked a new wave of viral attention.
During this second "war of words" wave, although Meituan responded swiftly with rebuttals, and some couriers questioned the accuracy of JD's claims on social media, the incentives offered by JD helped counterbalance earlier criticism. However, overall, the various incentives released by the platform are helping to offset the negative public opinion caused by early-stage issues. JD has still managed to earn the trust of most merchants and couriers.
Table 5: Platform-level New User Scale Growth
Average Daily New Users
Meituan App
JD App
January
2,031,496
862,633
February
1,168,203
807,748
March
1,265,657
889,403
April
1,331,168
1,484,954
Data Source: MoonFox iApp, Data Cycle: January 1, 2025 - April 27, 2025
Table 6: Key Events in the 2025 "Food Delivery Battle"
Key Date
JD.com Actions
Meituan Responses
February 24
JD Food Delivery announced "Three Key Policies": no commission all year, full social insurance for full-time couriers, and mandatory dine-in capability for merchants
Meituan launched the "City Defense Plan", lowering core merchant commissions from 23% to 6% - 8%.
April 14
JD launched "Self-operated Instant Delivery"
Meituan Flash Sale launched.
April 21
JD issued an open letter: accusing Meituan of forcing couriers to choose one platform and announced plans to recruit 100,000 full-time couriers and offer a "late delivery, free meal" policy.
Meituan denied the accusations and ramped up subsidies.
April 22
JD Food Delivery surpassed 10 million daily orders; "Liu Qiangdong Takes on Food Delivery" trended online.
\
IV. The "Food Delivery Battle" Ushers in a New Era of Instant Retail Competition
In April, amid the intense "Food Delivery Battle" between JD.com and Meituan, both Meituan "Flash Sale" and JD's "Self-operated Instant Delivery" services were launched simultaneously.
Just ahead of the Labor Day holiday, "Taobao Flash Sale" went live in 50 cities, followed by a nationwide rollout on May 2. To drive up order frequency during the holiday, Taobao partnered with Ele.me to issue substantial consumer subsidies such as free-order card and treat-voucher card.
According to MoonFox Data, since April 2025, JD.com's daily new user volume has continuously increased, and has surpassed Meituan's since April 16. Since the launch of its food delivery service, JD.com has also seen a steady rise in average user online time. As of April 23, average daily online time reached 14.27 minutes per user, increased by 54% compared with the same period last year.
Table 7: Changes in JD.com's Active User Online Time
Month
Average Usage Time (mins/month)
MoM Changes
2024-4
276.31
-4.3
%
2024-5
300.10
8.6
%
2024-6
310.27
3.4
%
2024-7
292.11
-5.9
%
2024-8
291.60
-0.2
%
2024-9
309.98
6.3
%
2024-10
337.85
9.0
%
2024-11
332.55
-1.6
%
2024-12
319.87
-3.8
%
2025-1
329.24
2.9
%
2025-2
310.20
-5.8
%
2025-3
343.47
10.7
%
2025-4
384.93
12.1
%
Data Source: MoonFox iApp, Data Cycle: April 28, 2024 - April 23, 2025
Despite reports of issues such as "inefficient processes" and "system bugs" with JD Food Delivery, there are still many shortcomings in the courier operation procedures that need to be addressed. However, driven by benefits related to commission rates and employee protection, a large number of couriers are switching platforms, while food delivery merchants and offline stores are also accelerating their entry into "JD Instant Delivery". With intensified investment in business development models, infrastructure construction, and supporting policies, both JD and Meituan are stepping up efforts to seize market share.
Table 8: Platform Characteristics Comparison
Infrastructure
JD Instant Delivery
Meituan Flash Sale
Warehouse Mode
Centralized Warehouses (self-operated) + Branded Stores (as front warehouses)
Flash Warehouse + Offline Retail Stores
Delivery Service
DADA Instant Delivery(contracted couriers) + JD Logistics
Third-party Service Provider Contracted Couriers
Introduction Stage Policy Advantages
0% commission for select premium merchants "Billion-RMB Subsidy" campaign for JD Food Delivery users Job & insurance support for couriers
0% commission for Flash Warehouse franchising (initial investment > RMB 300K) Exclusive UV privilege, "Climbing Plan" course and customized support for new merchants
Digital Platform
JD Instant Delivery Open Platform
Meituan Morning Glory System
Coverage Area
As of May 2024, JD Instant Delivery has covered 2,300 counties/cities, with 500K+ partner stores
As of October 2024, Meituan has had over 30K flash warehouses
UV Entrance
JD App (homepage + search bar)
Meituan Homepage + Meituan Food Delivery
Data Source: Public information, compiled by MoonFox Research Institute
Meituan's instant retail business is an extension of its food delivery capabilities, relying on third-party franchises and offline retail store partnerships for warehousing, and service-provider-based courier models. This asset-light strategy plays to Meituan's platform operation strengths, enabling rapid territorial expansion across cities.
JD's instant retail business places greater emphasis on its "self-operated" model, leveraging its early investments in e-commerce warehousing as a key foundation. It expands operations based on regional fulfillment centers while strengthening partnerships with offline stores, particularly branded chain stores, to enhance delivery efficiency and ensure product quality, a strategy that aligns with users' existing perception of JD's authenticity and logistics capabilities in e-commerce. The supply of local couriers primarily relies on contracted riders from DADA Instant Delivery. In recent years, JD Group's increasing equity stake in DADA has further strengthened its influence over last-mile delivery in the instant retail sector.
The attention generated by the "Food Delivery Battle" and the boom of instant retail has created invisible pressure for traditional e-commerce giants like Taobao. Taobao, backed by Alibaba's vast ecosystem, including Tmall Supermarket, Amap, Ele.me, Freshippo, and Alipay, has promising opportunities in the local life service sector. However, the coordination between different business units and the logistics efficiency within the last 3 to 5 kilometers remain key challenges that the platform must overcome to scale its instant retail business.
At present, Taobao Flash Sale appears to be a combination of Ele.me's original food delivery services and Taobao's previous "hourly delivery" feature, swiftly entering the competition to drive UV and user engagement. During the Labor Day holiday, topics such as #Taobao Flash Sale Crashed# even trended on social media platforms.
For Meituan, instant retail represents a new growth engine; For JD.com, it is a strategic lever to drive growth across its entire e-commerce ecosystem. Compared with the overt and covert competition between the two giants, the rapid launch of Taobao Flash Sale is more of a defensive move. Its long-term prospects remain to be seen. For now, all major platforms are still focused on strengthening infrastructure and optimizing operational efficiency, with instant retail shaping up to be a long-term battle.
About MoonFox Data
As a sub-brand of Aurora Mobile, MoonFox Data is a leading expert in data insights and analysis services across all scenarios. With a comprehensive, stable, secure and compliant mobile big data foundation, as well as professional and precise data analysis technology and AI algorithms, MoonFox Data has launched iAPP, iBrand, iMarketing, Alternative Data and professional research and consulting services of MoonFox Research, aiming to help companies gain insights into market growth and make accurate business decisions.
About Aurora Mobile
Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG) established in 2011, is a leading customer engagement and marketing technology service provider in China. Its business includes notification services, marketing growth, development tools, and data products.
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