Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Quick commerce in China - statistics & facts
Imagine getting your broken air-conditioner replaced and set-up within hours on a 40-degree day! That's the power of the Chinese quick commerce market, which, unsurprisingly is experiencing significant growth.
From food to everything
Quick commerce is a subdivision of online-to-offline (O2O) commerce, which involves instant delivery to home. In its early stages, q-commerce in China meant predominantly the on-demand delivery of fresh food. This business failed to gain much traction because most consumers preferred to buy fresh food from a local market, where they could personally assess food quality. However, the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly changed their shopping behaviors. This shift not only propelled massive growth in the fresh commerce sector but also spurred the development of on-demand retail for personal care products, medicine, and household essentials. Today, while substantial overlap remains between fresh commerce and quick commerce, q-commerce service providers are striving to reduce the share of fresh food and expand the offering of non-perishable products to minimize loss rates. Among these, consumer electronics was one of the fastest growing categories.What is the fastest possible delivery time?
Among the decisive factors driving fierce competition in the market, delivery speed stands out as the most critical, reiterating the quick in q-commerce in China. Recognizing its importance, companies are racing to shorten delivery times. With millions of riders nationwide, Meituan is well-positioned to ensure swift deliveries on a broad scale. Meanwhile, eBay, in partnership with express delivery giant Dada Now, JD Now (formerly known as “JDDJ”) claims to have achieved delivery times as fast as nine minutes in select cases. The race doesn’t stop there—ambitious players are introducing unmanned delivery vehicles and even drones, pushing the boundaries of logistics innovation. Delivery records are being shattered, and the pace of competition shows no signs of slowing.
