Meituan and Ele.me are two of the leading online food ordering platforms in China taking over 90 percent of China's online food delivery market. The largest shareholder of Meituan is China's internet giant Tencent, while Ele.me is operated by Alibaba Group. By the end of 2019, a total of three million restaurants were listed on these two aforementioned platforms, covering a broad range of China's major cities. The thriving online food delivery industry has created more than five million full- and part-time jobs.
After a long and tiring working day, ordering food online has became a convenient and affordable solution for younger Chinese to enjoy a nutritious meal. More than 90 percent of the online food delivery service users in China are under 40 years old, and most of them are office workers. Chinese consumers are sensitive to the price of the food as much as the quality. Therefore, online food delivery platforms often incentivize new and existing consumers through discount activities and free delivery. In 2021, majority of Chinese consumers spent less than eight U.S. dollars on getting a meal delivered.
