Meituan

ByteDance’s Billion-Dollar Experiment: What Happens When You Cut Off a Growing App’s Life Support?

📅 July 27, 2026 📂 China Watch

ByteDance cut subsidies and traffic to its local life app DouShengSheng after just four months, forcing it to prove independent value. The real moat in local services isn’t bought traffic—it’s ingrained user intent and merchant trust. Meituan’s Dianping still owns that habit, and ByteDance’s stress test will reveal if money can truly buy a fortress.

Business Strategy ByteDance Local Services Meituan Subsidies User Habits

The $49 Million Fine That Just Proved JD Was Right All Along

📅 July 25, 2026 📂 AI & Machine Learning

A $49 million fine for ghost kitchens just ended the ‘growth at all costs’ era in food delivery. While Meituan and Taobao scramble to clean up years of lax oversight, JD’s boring, compliance-first approach is suddenly its biggest asset. The platform that refused to cheat is now the only one with clean hands — and that’s exactly why it’s about to win the delivery war.

Business Strategy China Tech Compliance Food Delivery Ghost Kitchens JD.com Meituan Regulation Taobao