E-commerce companies are shifting their focus to offline convenience stores, marking a significant change in this year's "Double 11" shopping festival. Major players such as Alibaba's Taobao, Meituan, and JD.com are expanding or upgrading their offline convenience store formats to tap into new growth opportunities. This trend highlights the evolving dynamics of the e-commerce industry and signals a transformative shift in the instant retail sector.

**Surge in Demand for Instant Experience** Recently, e-commerce firms have adopted a lightweight expansion strategy in offline retail. On October 31, Taobao Flash Sale launched its new chain convenience brand, "Taobao Convenience Store." Gen Xian, General Manager of Taobao Flash Sale's instant retail division, stated that the brand would be licensed to qualified merchants, with store assets remaining under merchant ownership while adhering to platform standards. "We are committed to mutual growth with our ecosystem—no warehouses, no stores, and no competition with merchants for profits," Gen Xian emphasized.

On October 29, Meituan Flash Sale announced the establishment of "Brand Official Flagship Lightning Warehouses," integrating storage, delivery, and digital systems to create instant retail channels for brands. Meituan aims to expand this format to 100,000 stores in the future.

Meanwhile, JD.com introduced a self-operated instant delivery portal, consolidating its instant retail segment. Its 7FRESH supermarkets have undergone "warehouse-store integration" upgrades, and JD Convenience Stores have already onboarded 1,500 locations, offering round-the-clock "hourly delivery" services.

Cao Lei, Director of the New Retail Committee at the Hangzhou E-commerce Association, noted that the primary driver behind this offline push is the exhaustion of online traffic dividends. Rising customer acquisition costs have made offline stores a crucial new traffic source, especially for demographics like seniors who prefer in-store shopping. Additionally, consumer demand for instant experiences, tangible product interaction, and after-sales support has surged amid consumption upgrades.

**Supply Chain and Channel Integration** As consumer expectations for shopping experiences rise, offline stores provide advantages that online platforms cannot match. Angel investor Guo Tao highlighted that physical stores allow customers to inspect fresh produce or try on clothing, offering a more intuitive shopping experience.

JD.com’s "warehouse-store integration" enhances delivery efficiency by bringing products closer to consumers. Taobao Convenience Store leverages Alibaba’s ecosystem to empower merchants with branding, operational standards, and supply chain capabilities, enabling "24-hour operation + 30-minute delivery." Meituan capitalizes on its dense rider network to fulfill "30-minute delivery" promises.

Guo Tao emphasized that direct consumer engagement through offline stores reduces intermediaries, lowers logistics costs, and improves supply chain efficiency. Stores also serve as forward warehouses, speeding up online order fulfillment.

**New Variables in Offline Convenience Stores** According to the China Chain Store & Franchise Association, China’s instant retail market is projected to reach RMB 1.4 trillion by 2025, with a 25% CAGR over five years, reshaping consumer expectations for speed.

However, Cao Lei cautioned that offline operations involve complexities like location selection, supply chain management, and staffing, with high barriers to entry and long ROI cycles. Taobao’s "light-asset" model may face quality control risks, while Meituan’s strength in food delivery may not easily translate to managing diverse convenience store SKUs. JD.com’s early franchise model lacked deep operational involvement, though its big data advantage could improve store placement accuracy.

Experts agree that the instant retail sector is still nascent, with e-commerce giants’ offline expansions not only driving competition but also reshaping consumption habits and retail models. As the industry transitions from rapid growth to refined operations, the first to build an efficient, stable, and sustainable instant retail ecosystem will gain a competitive edge.

This year’s "Double 11" competition has extended to consumers’ doorsteps, with e-commerce firms exploring innovative offline convenience store models. Industry insiders believe that technological advancements and evolving consumer demands will unlock further growth potential for offline convenience stores, ultimately delivering more convenient and efficient shopping experiences.