Alibaba Taobao Instant Commerce Surpasses 40 Million Daily Orders

Alibaba's newly launched Taobao Instant Commerce portal has surpassed 40 million daily orders within a month, marking a significant milestone in China's rapidly growing instant retail sector. The platform integrates merchants from Alibaba's food delivery unit, Ele.me, directly into the Taobao shopping app, enabling deliveries within 60 minutes and positioning Alibaba at the forefront of the trend toward ultra-fast delivery of daily essentials and lifestyle products. This move intensifies competition with rivals like JD.com and Meituan, as all major players invest heavily in instant retail infrastructure to capture a market expected to grow to over 2 trillion yuan by 2030. Alibaba's CEO of its eCommerce segment highlighted the company's mature logistics network and extensive merchant base as key advantages in serving the vast consumer demand, which could eventually reach up to one billion consumers. The success of Taobao Instant Commerce reinforces Alibaba's leadership in digital commerce innovation and reflects shifting consumer preferences toward convenience and speed, particularly among younger demographics. Meanwhile, Meituan reported strong growth in the same sector, underscoring the booming nature of instant retail in China.