Meituan (3690) will pour 30 billion yuan (HK$35 billion) into its instant retail business over the next three years , said Xiao Kun, Meituan vice president and head of its instant retail division at the 2026 Meituan Instant Retail Industry Conference on Tuesday.
Meituan Shango, or “flash shopping”, will back industry partners across infrastructure, R&D and marketing, offering support spanning from targeted product selection and efficient inventory stocking to accelerated inventory turnover and product development. It will partner with brands and retailers to build its “30‑minute merchandise circle” for consumers, he added.
In addition, the target of building 100,000 lightning warehouses to hit 200 billion yuan in transaction volume for the segment is on track to be met ahead of schedule, said Wang Puzhong, chief executive of Meituan's core local commerce.
Lightning warehouses are 24/7 online‑only supermarkets run by third‑party partners, while Meituan, as the platform, supplies online marketing guidance and traffic support. Unlike regular convenience stores, they only serve delivery riders. Staff fulfill orders from Meituan and hand the packed goods to delivery riders for home deliveries.
Wang said instant retail has overcome the toughest stage of demand cultivation and network roll‑out, entering its “merchandise era”. First‑tier, second‑tier and county‑level cities still have ample room to improve product quality, diversity and value for money, with opportunities to both retailers and brand owners.
Frank Feng
