ByteDance's Douyin joins the competitive arena of China's instant delivery sector, challenging Alibaba, Meituan, and JD.com.
In a strategic move to strengthen its quick commerce capabilities and boost its presence in China’s instant delivery e-commerce market, Douyin has merged its supermarket business into Douyin Hourly Delivery (Xiaoshida). This integration aims to tighten logistics, leverage precise mapping and location services, and deliver groceries and daily essentials to consumers within an hour or minutes.
The merger represents a pivot for Douyin Supermarket, which was launched in early 2023 as a hybrid model blending direct sales and third-party consignment. Initially, the supermarket offered some next-day delivery items but faced challenges with broader delivery speed. The merger with Douyin Hourly Delivery, a one-hour delivery service, focuses on ultra-fast delivery, aligning with the growing demand for instant e-commerce in China.
This consolidation is expected to help Douyin convert its large user base and online popularity into stronger e-commerce revenues by providing a seamless, fast, and reliable grocery and essentials shopping experience. The move reshapes the competitive landscape of China’s instant delivery market, where companies like Alibaba, Meituan, and JD.com have been dominant.
The emphasis in China’s e-commerce is shifting towards instant delivery, typically within minutes. This consolidation is in response to growing competition among Meituan, JD.com, and Alibaba in China's e-commerce market. Douyin’s strategy reflects a broader industry trend emphasizing minutes-level delivery to capture the rising consumer appetite for immediacy in online shopping.
| Aspect | Details | |--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | What happened | Douyin Supermarket merged into Douyin Hourly Delivery (Xiaoshida) | | Goal | Enhance logistics, speed, and reliability for instant delivery | | Impact on market | Increases competition against Alibaba, Meituan, JD.com in instant e-commerce | | Delivery speed focus | From some next-day delivery to guaranteed one-hour or minute-level delivery | | Strategic aim | Convert Douyin’s user popularity into e-commerce revenue |
This update was reported by multiple sources on July 30, 2025, confirming it as the latest development in Douyin’s instant commerce and delivery strategy. It is clear that Douyin is aiming to generate revenue through e-commerce and is intensifying its push into quick commerce, aiming to capture more market share in China’s rapidly evolving on-demand retail sector.
The merger of Douyin Supermarket into Douyin Hourly Delivery signifies a shift in strategic focus for Douyin, as they aim to intensify their push into the rapidly evolving quick commerce sector of China's on-demand retail market. This move leverages technology like precise mapping and location services to deliver groceries and daily essentials within an hour or minutes, aligning with the growing demand for instant e-commerce in China.
