--- title: "Lessons from Meituan: how it won" description: "How Meituan won, how to copy its best moves in your city, and where it is weak. A free, sourced playbook for local delivery founders." canonical: https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/meituan/ --- # What Meituan can teach your delivery business. China's largest local services platform, best known for food delivery run on a massive, algorithm dispatched rider network built for density. [See how they won](#winning-moves)[Book a demo](https://www.ordering.co/contact/?meeting=demo#book) - Region Asia - Headquarters Beijing, China - Founded 2010 - Owner Publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since September 2018 At a glance ## How Meituan works Meituan earns commissions, delivery fees and advertising from restaurants and stores on its app, and charges for delivery services it provides. Beyond meals it sells instant retail (groceries and convenience goods in under an hour), in store deals, hotel and travel bookings, and runs the Keeta delivery brand abroad. Status as of October 2026 Meituan posted operating losses in 2025 during a costly subsidy war with Alibaba and JD.com, then returned to an adjusted profit in Q2 2026. Abroad it operates Keeta, launched in Hong Kong in 2023 and since expanded to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Brazil, where iFood sued it in May 2026. - Meituan merged with rival Dianping in October 2015, listed in Hong Kong in September 2018, and started its Meituan Waimai food delivery service in 2013. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meituan) - In May 2019 Meituan said its delivery network served over 3.6 million merchants and 400 million users with more than 600,000 active couriers, as it opened its delivery service to other businesses. [TechNode](https://technode.com/2019/05/07/meituan-dianping-logistics/) - During the 2025 subsidy war Meituan reached 120 million daily instant retail orders in early July and passed 150 million by July 12, prompting China's market regulator SAMR to summon Meituan, JD.com and Ele.me on July 18, 2025. [Caixin Global](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2025-07-19/chinese-regulators-demand-tech-giants-end-instant-retail-subsidy-war-102342818.html) - For 2025 Meituan reported revenue of RMB 364.9 billion, up 8%, and a net loss of RMB 23.4 billion, its core local commerce segment posting an operating loss of RMB 6.9 billion. [KrASIA](https://kr-asia.com/meituans-overseas-push-steadies-investors-despite-second-consecutive-loss) - Meituan returned to an adjusted net profit of 2.5 billion yuan in the June 2026 quarter on revenue of 105 billion yuan as price competition cooled. [South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3365595/meituan-snaps-losing-streak-profitable-june-quarter-though-douyin-threat-looms) - Keeta launched in Kuwait on September 15, 2025, its third Middle East market after Saudi Arabia (September 2024, now over 20 cities) and Qatar (August 2025). [TechNode](https://technode.com/2025/09/16/meituan-expands-food-delivery-brand-keeta-to-kuwait/) How they won ## Meituan's four winning moves What they did, why it worked, and how you can run the same move in one city on a small budget. 1. 01 ### Real time dispatch engine What they did Meituan built an AI dispatch system, nicknamed Super Brain, that predicts preparation and arrival times, assigns orders and plans routes using rider GPS and feedback data. It reported cutting average delivery time from about an hour to roughly 30 minutes over three years. Why it worked Smarter assignment lets each rider carry more orders per hour, which lowers cost per delivery while keeping times short. Copy it locally You do not need custom AI. Use a driver app with automatic assignment by distance, set realistic prep times per restaurant, and review late orders weekly to adjust zones and prep time settings. [Source: Synced](https://syncedreview.com/2019/01/19/meituan-drives-instant-food-delivery-with-ai-super-brain/) 2. 02 ### Group orders to build density What they did Since 2020 Meituan has run Pinhaofan, where neighbors join the same order from one restaurant to get a much lower price with no delivery fee. Rest of World reported the feature reached almost 5 million orders a day in 2024. Why it worked Bundling several nearby customers into one trip cuts delivery cost per meal and wins price sensitive users who would not pay a normal fee. Copy it locally Run office or campus lunch drops: one restaurant, a fixed menu, a cutoff time and a single delivery to a building. Charge little or no delivery fee because one driver serves many customers in one trip. [Source: Rest of World](https://restofworld.org/2024/meituan-batch-delivery-cost/) 3. 03 ### One rider network for everything What they did In 2019 Meituan opened its delivery network to deliver for other merchants and short distance errands, using couriers in the quiet hours around meal peaks. It later pushed hard into instant retail, delivering groceries and convenience goods within an hour. Why it worked Filling idle hours with non food orders spreads the fixed cost of a large fleet over far more deliveries. Copy it locally Use your drivers between lunch and dinner for pharmacy, grocery or parcel style deliveries from local shops. Even a few extra orders per driver per afternoon improves their earnings and your margins. [Source: TechNode](https://technode.com/2019/05/07/meituan-dianping-logistics/) 4. 04 ### Exporting the playbook city by city What they did Meituan launched Keeta in Hong Kong in 2023, starting with a pilot in two districts, then expanded to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Brazil. KrASIA reported Keeta Hong Kong turned profitable in October 2024. Why it worked Starting in a small, dense area lets a new entrant prove unit economics before spending to scale across a country. Copy it locally Launch in one or two neighborhoods, not the whole city. Sign enough restaurants to make that zone feel complete, reach steady order density, then open the next zone. [Source: KrASIA](https://kr-asia.com/meituans-overseas-push-steadies-investors-despite-second-consecutive-loss) Where they are weak ## Three gaps you can use against Meituan Every giant has blind spots. These are the ones a focused local operator can turn into an advantage. - ### Expensive subsidy wars Competition with Alibaba and JD.com pushed Meituan into a net loss of RMB 23.4 billion in 2025, and regulators summoned the platforms in July 2025 over what they called irrational competition. Giants that compete on subsidies can pull back abruptly, which gives local players a chance to win on service and relationships instead of price. [Source: KrASIA](https://kr-asia.com/meituans-overseas-push-steadies-investors-despite-second-consecutive-loss) - ### Exclusivity drew an antitrust fine In October 2021 China's market regulator fined Meituan 3.44 billion yuan for pressuring merchants to use only its platform, and ordered it to refund deposits and revise its commission structure. Restaurants that were burned by lock in tend to value platforms that let them keep their own customers and channels. [Source: Caixin Global](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-10-08/takeout-giant-meituan-fined-533-million-for-anti-competitive-behavior-101784196.html) - ### Rider pressure from algorithms In 2020 a widely shared Chinese report described riders under strict time limits and pay penalties for delays, and Meituan responded by adding flexible minutes and longer windows in bad weather. The episode shows how a purely algorithmic model can strain riders, a gap a local operator with a closer driver relationship can avoid. [Source: TechNode](https://technode.com/2020/09/11/eleme-meituan-scramble-to-fix-driver-work-conditions-amid-criticism/) Build it with Ordering.co ## The tools to run Meituan's playbook in your city Each of these features is included in every Ordering.co plan. [See all features](https://www.ordering.co/features/all-features/) - ### Automatic assignment Run a simple version of the Real time dispatch engine move by letting delivery automation rules assign each order to a driver instead of a dispatcher picking by hand. - ### Prep and delivery times Support the Real time dispatch engine move by setting realistic preparation and delivery times per restaurant, then adjusting them after your weekly review of late orders. - ### Order batching Copy the Group orders to build density move by grouping several nearby orders into one driver trip so each delivery costs less. - ### ASAP and scheduled orders Run office or campus lunch drops for the Group orders to build density move by letting customers schedule their order for one fixed delivery time. - ### Store categories and ribbons Follow the One rider network for everything move by listing pharmacies, grocers and convenience shops in their own categories so your drivers have orders between lunch and dinner. - ### Delivery zones Apply the Exporting the playbook city by city move by drawing zones for one or two neighborhoods first and adding the next zone once order density is steady. More lessons ## Learn from other giants [All giants](https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/) - [AsiaGrabSoutheast Asia's super app, combining ride hailing, GrabFood delivery, groceries and financial services across eight countries.](https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/grab/) - [AsiaSwiggyOne of India's two largest food delivery platforms, which grew into a multi-app consumer company spanning restaurant delivery, 10-minute grocery, dining out and events.](https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/swiggy/) - [AsiaZomatoIndia's largest food delivery app, which started as a restaurant menu and review site and now sits inside Eternal alongside Blinkit quick commerce.](https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/zomato/) ## Sources 1. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meituan) 2. [TechNode](https://technode.com/2019/05/07/meituan-dianping-logistics/) 3. [Caixin Global](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2025-07-19/chinese-regulators-demand-tech-giants-end-instant-retail-subsidy-war-102342818.html) 4. [KrASIA](https://kr-asia.com/meituans-overseas-push-steadies-investors-despite-second-consecutive-loss) 5. [South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3365595/meituan-snaps-losing-streak-profitable-june-quarter-though-douyin-threat-looms) 6. [TechNode](https://technode.com/2025/09/16/meituan-expands-food-delivery-brand-keeta-to-kuwait/) 7. [Synced](https://syncedreview.com/2019/01/19/meituan-drives-instant-food-delivery-with-ai-super-brain/) 8. [Rest of World](https://restofworld.org/2024/meituan-batch-delivery-cost/) 9. [Caixin Global](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-10-08/takeout-giant-meituan-fined-533-million-for-anti-competitive-behavior-101784196.html) 10. [TechNode](https://technode.com/2020/09/11/eleme-meituan-scramble-to-fix-driver-work-conditions-amid-criticism/) Ordering.co is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Meituan. Names and trademarks belong to their owners and are used here for commentary and education. Facts come from the public sources listed on this page, checked in October 2026. ## Build your own Meituan, for your city. Tell us your market and what you want to launch. We will show you how Ordering.co runs the stores, orders, payments and delivery behind it. [Book a demo](https://www.ordering.co/contact/?meeting=demo#book)[See all features](https://www.ordering.co/features/all-features/)