Food delivery platforms push into lower-tier cities, new retail for growth: report

China’s food delivery market posted steady growth as Tencent-backed Meituan Dianping and Alibaba’s Ele.me further establish themselves as a market duopoly.

According to a new report by iiMedia Research, the market reached 358 million users in 2018, representing a 17.4% increase compared with the year prior. The size of the food delivery market surpassed RMB 240 billion ($35.6 billion) last year, posting solid growth of 17.6% compared with a year earlier.

In terms of delivery order volume, Ele.me claimed 47.4% share last year, closing the gap with long-time market leader Meituan Dianping, which held 51.8%.

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