Delivery platform Meituan ramps up care for riders

On-demand delivery platform Meituan said it is doubling down on its role as both a job creator and stabilizer, as it ramps up efforts to help power China's booming platform economy and delivery riders amid changing labor dynamics.

The company said it is enhancing support for millions of monthly active riders, while also developing new career paths and contributing to broader job creation through business support programs and initiatives targeting export-oriented firms and university graduates.

Meituan told China Daily that high-frequency riders earned average monthly incomes ranging from 6,650 yuan ($920) to 9,344 yuan last year, with experienced couriers in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai earning up to 11,547 yuan.

In smaller cities, the average income of skilled riders reached 8,757 yuan per month, 12 percent higher than the third-quarter average, the company said.

It was a broader part of efforts by Meituan to roll out a program called "Spring Breeze" to offer diversified employment opportunities to riders, including incentives such as referral bonuses, part-time work models and targeted recruitment funding since 2023.

Li Jiwei, executive director of Meituan's research institute, said: "Acting as a reservoir and stabilizer of jobs, Meituan continues to optimize labor protections for its vast fleet of delivery riders and other flexible workers, while supporting small businesses and exporters to boost domestic consumption and local employment."

To support small businesses, Meituan has been running a prosperity plan since 2022. It has refunded 3.3 billion yuan in commissions to over 700,000 restaurants, provided 15,000 free consulting sessions and held 163 merchant roundtables to improve business resilience.

Meituan said the plan has been upgraded last September with over 10 billion yuan in resources, including a 1 billion yuan incentive fund and widespread access to digital tools.

Meanwhile, Meituan is helping foreign trade firms pivot to China's domestic market. Since April, it has launched fast-track services for exporters entering local sales channels — setting up a dedicated foreign trade zone, co-hosting product matchmaking events and promoting seasonal produce nationwide.

So far, over 450 exporters have entered the onboarding process across categories like snacks, beverages and daily-use products, the company said.

Since April, major Chinese e-commerce and online food delivery companies have fleshed out plans to assist companies in broadening domestic sales avenues, such as opening green channels, joining hands to develop new products, and pooling marketing resources.

Peng Jianzhen, president of the China Chain Store and Franchise Association, said the trend also aligns with China's broader push to boost domestic consumption to stabilize the economy.