Alibaba Group Holding has matched its single-day delivery record of 80 million orders, as competition intensifies across China’s instant commerce sector. The figure, achieved on Saturday and reported on Monday, reflects the company’s aggressive campaign to gain market share from key rivals Meituan and JD.com.
The deliveries were fulfilled under Alibaba’s new instant commerce division, Taobao Shangou, which also reported a 15 per cent week-on-week increase in daily active users. While the company did not disclose a precise total, the growth places estimated usage at around 230 million users.
Saturday’s surge came amid an industry-wide promotional push, with platforms including Meituan, Taobao, Ele.me and JD.com offering substantial cash subsidies to consumers across the country. The result was a dramatic shift in shopping behaviour, with many brick-and-mortar retailers suspending in-store service due to overwhelming online demand.
Meituan distributed coupons offering milk tea at no cost, while Taobao hosted flash sales with vouchers valued at 188 yuan (approximately £22), usable for deeply discounted food and beverage items. Additional surprise coupons further incentivised purchases. Meituan’s efforts culminated in a record 150 million instant retail orders on the same day.
JD.com, which has taken an increasingly assertive stance since its entry into the food delivery space in February, announced the nightly distribution of 100,000 servings of crayfish, priced at 16.18 yuan, between 6pm and 2am.
These subsidies have resonated strongly with consumers. One 22-year-old engineer, Huang Yuxiang, described purchasing a cup of Luckin Coffee for 0 yuan via Taobao, with only a 2 yuan delivery charge. He noted that Taobao’s discounts were significantly larger than those offered by competitors, which spurred a noticeable rise in customer activity and merchant workload.
Retailers across the country reported surging order volumes. Liu Hang, owner of a Chen Duoduo Milk Tea franchise in Daizhou, Sichuan province, received more than 300 orders over the weekend—up from just a few dozen. A peer in Chengdu, the provincial capital, saw daily orders spike to between 700 and 800. In more extreme cases, top-performing outlets reportedly handled in excess of 3,000 orders per day, with staff experiencing considerable strain.
The competitive landscape in China’s food delivery sector has undergone a major transformation in recent months. Meituan, the market leader, held a commanding 65 per cent share in 2024, according to Bocom International. Alibaba-owned Ele.me trailed with 33 per cent, while all other players, including JD.com, accounted for the remaining 2 per cent combined.
With rival firms intensifying their promotional activity and customer acquisition strategies, the sector appears set for further disruption. As Alibaba’s delivery figures demonstrate, consumer appetite remains strong—and the battle for market dominance is far from over.
-SCMP
