One year after the food delivery war, 'sequelae' begin to appear: orders plummet, but riders surge to 20 million
A fierce year-long subsidy war in China's food delivery market, involving Meituan, Taobao, and JD.com, has concluded, leaving behind significant financial losses and a surplus of delivery riders. The platforms collectively spent over 173 billion yuan on subsidies, resulting in substantial net losses for Meituan and Taobao. This intense competition led to a surge in rider recruitment, with the total number of delivery personnel nearing 20 million, an increase of over 8 million during the subsidy period. However, as subsidies have ended and orders have decreased, the excess capacity has created a situation where riders are working longer hours for reduced pay, leading to widespread dissatisfaction and concerns about the industry's sustainability. AI
IMPACT This event highlights the unsustainable economic models of platform-based gig work and the potential for labor market imbalances resulting from intense market competition.