Instant retail sizzling as turf war among big names heats up

JD takes on rivals with its optimized rules tailored for food delivery riders

Competition in China's instant retail sector is intensifying as major online players are upping the ante on lucrative on-demand food delivery services to seek new sources of revenue and bolster the digital transformation of traditional brick-and-mortar stores, experts said.

They called for more efforts to step up investments in technology and supply chain innovation, and optimize delivery networks and inventory management by adopting intelligent warehousing and distribution systems to further improve delivery efficiency and user experience.

Chinese e-commerce giant JD announced that starting Monday, consumers whose orders arrive more than 20 minutes late will receive them free of charge. This move comes as some of its domestic rivals set rules for food delivery riders to take orders from only one platform.