State Administration for Market Regulation: Actively advancing the investigation into competition among food delivery platforms

Source: Economic Information Daily Author: Wang Wenbo

The State Administration for Market Regulation announced on January 9 that it would conduct an investigation and assessment into the market competition conditions of the takeaway food delivery platform service industry. In response to the latest progress of the investigation, Wang Qiuping, spokesperson of the State Administration for Market Regulation and director of the News Publicity Division, said that currently, the agency is proceeding with the relevant investigation and assessment work in close accordance with the established plan.

At a routine press briefing for the first quarter held recently, Wang Qiuping made the above remarks. She said that at present, the State Administration for Market Regulation has, together with relevant member units of the State Council Anti-Monopoly Commission office, gone to relevant takeaway food delivery platforms to conduct on-site investigations and comprehensively collect information; it has organized merchant symposiums to exchange views with industry associations and operators within the platforms; and it also uses face-to-face interviews to broadly understand the concerns and demands of multiple parties, including merchants, takeaway delivery riders, and consumers.

The reporter learned that at the beginning of the year, the office of the State Council Anti-Monopoly Commission announced that, in accordance with the Anti-Monopoly Law, it would conduct an investigation and assessment into the market competition conditions of the takeaway food delivery platform service industry. The purpose is to address issues that exist in the industry, such as “competing through subsidies, competing through pricing, and controlling traffic,” to express competition concerns, assess monopoly risks, and standardize market order.

“Next, we will continue to gain a deeper understanding of the competitive behavior of takeaway food delivery platforms through methods such as on-site verification, interviews and symposiums, and questionnaire surveys; we will comprehensively listen to opinions from different sides, including platform operators, new employment groups, and consumers; we will systematically sort out market competition conditions; organize analysis and argumentation; transmit regulatory pressure; and study and propose corresponding handling measures,” Wang Qiuping said.

The reporter also learned that the “List of Key Industrial Products for Network Sales (2026 Edition)” (hereinafter referred to as the “List”) will also be made public soon for public comment. At the end of last year, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the “Provisions on Supervision and Administration of Quality and Safety for Key Industrial Products in Network Sales,” further refining and specifying the quality and safety responsibilities and obligations of e-commerce operators in the process of network sales of key industrial products. The “List” is a key supporting document to the “Provisions on Supervision and Administration of Quality and Safety for Key Industrial Products in Network Sales,” and defines the specific scope of key industrial products for network sales.

It is understood that in compiling this “List,” the main factors considered are as follows: first, it closely focuses on products that are sold extensively online, and gives priority to including industrial products with large sales volumes, wide audiences, and frequently used by consumers in the management scope of the “List,” such as electric water heaters, toys, and other products; second, it closely targets the pain points in product quality and safety, focusing on products that have potential safety hazards, have relatively high rates of unqualified outcomes in supervision and random inspections, and are prone to causing harm to people’s personal property, such as electric bicycles, household gas stoves, and other products; third, it focuses on operability and effectiveness, fully taking into account the technical implementation capabilities of e-commerce platforms in quality control links such as review and patrol inspections, so as to ensure that all requirements can be implemented and carried out, such as code-assigned verification products like safety helmets and mobile power supplies.

The State Administration for Market Regulation said that the “List” will provide clear and explicit guidance for e-commerce operators to sell key industrial products, which will help further promote innovative and sound development of the platform economy.

Industry analysts believe that from conducting investigation and assessment into the market competition conditions of the takeaway food delivery platform service industry to soliciting public comments on the “List,” it reflects the regulatory authorities’ regulatory approach in the platform economy that emphasizes both “regulation and development,” and sends a clear signal of ongoing efforts to standardize the competitive order of the platform economy and strengthen supervision over quality and safety in online transactions.

(Editor: Wen Jing)

Keywords:

                                                            Takeaway food delivery