On April 21, the founder of JD Group, Liu Qiangdong, personally took to the streets riding an electric scooter to deliver food orders. This event quickly sparked heated discussions online, with more details emerging about Liu Qiangdong’s delivery, including the revelation that his income from delivering food was around 27 yuan (Chinese Renminbi).
According to online information circulating on April 21, Liu Qiangdong personally delivered food to users. Some netizens also posted that they encountered Liu Qiangdong delivering food on the road.
JD responded to multiple Chinese media outlets confirming that Liu Qiangdong did indeed deliver food personally.
In an interview with a tech news outlet, Liu Qiangdong mentioned that it had been 10 years since he last delivered food. He expressed that each time he delivered food, the customers recognized him, making it difficult to have an authentic experience.
Liu Qiangdong said, “After delivering a few orders, I deeply appreciate the hard work of my fellow delivery personnel.”
The recent news of Liu Qiangdong personally delivering food continues to generate discussions. A restaurant owner released a video stating that Liu Qiangdong came to his establishment to pick up an order, and initially, he didn’t recognize him. The video showed Liu Qiangdong and another JD delivery personnel picking up the order, with Liu Qiangdong engaging in conversation with the owner. After receiving the order, they left the restaurant together.
Media reports have focused more on Liu Qiangdong’s personal food deliveries, interactions with delivery personnel, as well as JD’s initiatives and commitments in the food delivery business. Meanwhile, netizens are increasingly curious about the differences between Liu Qiangdong delivering food and regular delivery personnel.
On April 24, news related to Liu Qiangdong’s food delivery once again trended on social media. Some videos and images showed him looking bewildered when picking up his first order and continuously scanning the surroundings at a restaurant, indicating he was not familiar with the order collection process.
A social media user shared their experience as a delivery person, expressing solidarity, “I remember when I started delivering, I got lost in a mall for half an hour trying to find the merchant, eventually receiving a negative review for being late. There is insufficient training and guidance for new delivery personnel on many platforms, hoping this experience will prompt improvement.”
A JD delivery person uploaded a video mentioning that after completing the food deliveries, Liu Qiangdong treated the delivery personnel to hot pot. In the video, many delivery personnel were seen enjoying hot pot together, with Liu Qiangdong mentioning that he also purposely delivered a few orders in the afternoon.
Recently, a circulated image showed Liu Qiangdong ranking first on JD’s delivery personnel leaderboard with 97 orders in a day. However, JD clarified that this information was inaccurate and the leaderboard ranking was fabricated.
A certified prominent online figure stated that on the afternoon of April 21, Liu Qiangdong used someone else’s account to deliver food and only completed a few orders, earning approximately 27 yuan.
This post sparked discussions among internet users, with some questioning how much actual income delivery persons can earn and how much each order pays.
Liu Qiangdong’s food delivery endeavor has also faced criticism, with some netizens speculating that he is too busy to deliver orders regularly, implying that it might just be for appearances.
In February of this year, JD announced its entry into the food delivery market, challenging the dominant positions of Meituan and Ele.me. JD promised delivery in “under 9 minutes” and announced “0 commission” for certain merchant partners. They pledged to provide “Five insurances and one fund” for full-time delivery personnel. This move initiated a new round of competition in China’s food delivery industry.
JD issued a public statement on April 21, indirectly criticizing platforms like Meituan for limiting delivery personnel to choose between platforms and rejecting JD’s quick delivery orders. JD further assured support for delivery personnel to freely accept orders, ensuring stable incomes and never forcing part-time delivery personnel to choose between platforms.
The letter also mentioned a plan to double the number of full-time delivery personnel to 100,000 within three months, providing a free meal for orders delayed by more than 20 minutes. Additionally, full-time delivery personnel would receive “Five insurances and one fund,” while part-time personnel would have accident and medical insurance coverage.
Meituan, Ele.me, and other platforms swiftly responded to JD’s actions. Meituan urgently introduced a “freely accepting orders declaration,” guaranteeing no restrictions on delivery personnel receiving orders from multiple platforms and enhancing insurance coverage.
As China’s economy faces a downturn, an increasing number of Chinese citizens are dealing with unemployment and reemployment challenges, making sustenance a significant issue for many urban workers. Stories about graduates from prestigious universities being forced to deliver food due to job unavailability are becoming more common on the internet.
Data reveals that there are at least 10 million food delivery personnel in China. Looking at national statistics related to “flexible employment,” delivering food indeed serves as a last resort for many to make ends meet.