Friday, 25 July, 2025
Alibaba, JD.com & Meituan Defy Regulators to Wage Massive Instant Retail Price War
Leading Chinese e‑commerce platforms Alibaba, JD.com, and Meituan are aggressively competing in "instant retail"—offering deliveries within 30–60 minutes, often at net‑loss prices. Together they’ve committed nearly ¥200 billion (~$28 billion) in subsidies, drawing regulatory scrutiny over deflation risks, waste and market distortion. Despite multiple summons by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the companies view the battle as existential, betting on AI and automation to scale.
Read full story at Economic Times