JD.com Takeout: Aiming for 30% Market Share by 2026

On February 28th, JD Waimai publicly announced its one-year anniversary, revealing that over 240 million orders have been served since its launch. The current market share has surpassed 15%, with a clear goal to achieve over 30% by 2026.

To reach this target, JD Waimai will focus on the innovative Seven Fresh Kitchen model, while expanding into in-store pickup, group buying, and other diversified services. By leveraging supply chain and fulfillment capabilities, it aims to build a comprehensive dining ecosystem, further disrupting the current three-way competitive landscape in the food delivery industry.

From the overall industry perspective, China’s food delivery market has entered a mature development stage.

Industry research from sources like China Report Hall shows that by 2025, the Chinese food delivery market will exceed 1.8 trillion yuan, accounting for 3-4% of total retail sales of consumer goods and 32% of total restaurant revenue. The online food delivery user base will reach 545 million, about half of all internet users, with a compound annual growth rate of 12%, making it a key driver of consumption.

In terms of market structure, the industry has shifted from single-platform dominance to multi-competition. Meituan, Taobao Flash Sale (formerly Ele.me), and JD Waimai form a stable tripartite competition. Meanwhile, key themes in industry development include commission adjustments, quality upgrades, and rider protection.

Amid widespread commission increases, JD Waimai’s low-commission strategy has become a key attraction for merchants. From the “0 Commission Recruitment” launched in 2025 to a long-term policy of no more than 5% commission, the goal is to reduce merchants’ operating costs and encourage more investment in menu quality.

Additionally, JD Waimai continues to strengthen quality control, rejecting 1 million “black” or non-compliant food delivery outlets in its first year, directly addressing food safety issues and promoting standardization and quality upgrades in the industry.

The improvement of rider protection systems also gives JD Waimai a competitive edge.

Currently, over 90% of delivery riders work under a crowdsourced model, with widespread lack of job security. JD Waimai provides social insurance and housing fund contributions for all full-time riders. Over the past year, it has attracted 150,000 full-time riders and plans to invest 22 billion yuan over the next five years to improve frontline worker protections.

This approach aligns with regulatory trends. Since 2025, local authorities have introduced policies requiring platforms to safeguard rider rights and set minimum wages. JD Waimai’s initiatives serve as a reference for building a rider protection system industry-wide.

As a core driver toward its 30% market share goal, the innovative Seven Fresh Kitchen model has shown promising operational results.

According to official data, a single Seven Fresh Kitchen store averages over 500 orders per day within three months of opening, effectively boosting traffic and growth in surrounding foodservice businesses.

The core competitive advantage of this model lies in supply chain integration and business innovation: using a “Dish Partner” model, JD invests heavily in store location, construction, and operation, while partners only need to provide recipes to earn guaranteed and sales-based revenue shares. Collaborating with top suppliers like COFCO and Yihai Kerry, it delivers ingredients via cold chain and standardizes processing, reducing ingredient costs by 30% compared to traditional restaurants. It also features 24-hour kitchen live streaming and implements 40 high-standard inspection and quarantine procedures, ensuring full transparency in quality control.

Currently, Seven Fresh Kitchen has covered major districts within the Beijing Fifth Ring Road, with its first store in Shanghai opening in January 2026. JD Waimai plans to complete its presence in all first- and second-tier cities by the end of 2026.

At the same time, JD Waimai will expand into in-store pickup and group buying in 2026, initially targeting one million quality restaurant partners, extending beyond simple food delivery to a broader multi-scene dining ecosystem.

Leveraging JD’s fulfillment capabilities through JD Express and its expertise in supply chain and digital operations, JD Waimai aims to replicate its core strengths across the entire dining scene.

Industry analysts believe that JD Waimai’s rapid establishment within a year is due to its differentiated approach of “quality + low commission + rider protection.” However, to reach its 30% market share target by 2026 from the current 19%, it must face intense competition.

The industry has shifted from subsidy-driven price wars to value-based competition. Meituan maintains its position with a mature rider network and extensive merchant base, while Taobao Flash Sale leverages platform traffic to continue growth. Whether JD Waimai can further expand its market share through the Seven Fresh Kitchen model and full-scene dining ecosystem, and build a strong ecosystem moat, will determine if it moves from a participant to an industry leader. Its strategic layout will also promote the overall industry’s move toward higher quality, standardization, and diversification, accelerating the transition from price competition to value-based competition.