On the evening of March 19, Alibaba Group released its financial results for the quarter ending December 2025. The report indicated that instant retail revenue, which includes Taobao Quick Purchase, surged 56% year-over-year this quarter, driving double-digit growth in both active buyers on the Taobao app and 88VIP membership.

Concurrently, Alibaba's e-commerce division is enhancing user engagement with the Taobao app by continuing to invest in Taobao Quick Purchase and user benefits, catering to diverse consumption scenarios. By supporting high-quality merchants and offering a wide range of products to meet the needs of core users such as 88VIP members, the company has improved 88VIP retention. Currently, the number of 88VIP users has approached 60 million.

Amid significant investments in instant retail, user experience, and AI technology, Alibaba's China e-commerce division achieved an adjusted EBITA of RMB 34.613 billion. Compared to the previous quarter, while continuing to expand its market share in instant retail, the segment's losses narrowed considerably.

Beyond operational improvements, the rise of Taobao Quick Purchase is most evident in its shifting market share. According to a report on the instant retail market from third-party research firm Analysys, Taobao Quick Purchase captured a 45.2% share of instant transaction volume in the fourth quarter of 2025. This may signal the beginning of a new phase of multi-platform competition in the instant retail market.

From "Beverage Breakthrough" to "Full-Category Boom"

Looking back to April 30, 2025, Alibaba's same-day delivery service "Hourly Delivery" under Taobao and Tmall was officially upgraded to "Taobao Quick Purchase" and secured a primary tab placement on the Taobao app homepage. This move highlighted Alibaba's strategic focus on elevating instant retail to a core group priority.

On May 2, Taobao Quick Purchase launched nationwide, four days ahead of schedule. Within 24 hours, orders for Heytea surged over 200% year-over-year, while茉莉奶白 saw daily order growth of nearly three times across multiple cities, and抹茶白兰 sold more than 100,000 cups. Cotti Coffee quickly rose to become the top-selling coffee brand, with orders increasing nearly tenfold compared to usual levels.

The service then entered a phase of rapid expansion: on May 5, just six days after launch, daily orders exceeded 10 million; by May 26, less than a month in, daily orders surpassed 40 million; and on June 23, within two months, Taobao Quick Purchase recorded over 60 million daily orders.

On July 2, Taobao Quick Purchase announced a consumer voucher program worth RMB 50 billion, acting as a catalyst for market acceleration. In the first week alone, 4,124餐饮 brands and 2,318 non-food merchants achieved record-breaking sales.

Beverage sales not only drove app downloads and activation but also served as a lever to boost the entire delivery market. Data showed that by mid-July, non-beverage orders accounted for as much as 75% of Taobao Quick Purchase volume, with non-food category growth far exceeding expectations. Orders in food,母婴, home appliances, and 3C digital products all grew by more than 100%.

By August, results expanded further: from August 7 to 9, aided by promotions such as "The First Milk Tea of Autumn," "88 Member Day," and "Super Saturday," along with extensive advertising, Taobao Quick Purchase's daily orders exceeded 100 million for three consecutive days.

During an earnings call for the quarter ending June 2025 on the evening of August 29, it was revealed that Taobao Quick Purchase reached a peak of 120 million daily orders in August, with an average of 80 million orders per day weekly. This helped increase the total monthly transacting buyers for Quick Purchase to 300 million, a 200% increase since April.

The rise of Taobao Quick Purchase is clearly reflected in market share dynamics. According to Analysys, Taobao Quick Purchase held a 45.2% share of the instant retail transaction market in Q4 2025.

Ecosystem Collaboration Drives Steady Growth for Alibaba E-Commerce

The rapid emergence of Taobao Quick Purchase is not merely a result of heavy spending but stems from coordinated efforts across Alibaba's ecosystem and disciplined execution.

On the supply side, Taobao Quick Purchase demonstrated strong appeal. Leading brands from various sectors, including liquor giants like Moutai and Xijiu, top 3C brands such as vivo and Baseus, as well as apparel, luxury, and cosmetics brands like Li-Ning, MCM, and ANESSA, have increased their presence. In July, the number of newly onboarded brands grew 110% month-over-month, with over 12,000 new non-food brand stores going live.

In fulfillment, Ele.me's infrastructure provided critical support. Since its launch, by the end of July, the monthly active number of Ele.me delivery riders increased by 181% overall, with over 2 million daily active riders—a threefold increase since April. Despite the surge in orders, Taobao Quick Purchase maintained a stable on-time delivery rate of 96%, demonstrating the resilience of its logistics network.

More importantly, Quick Purchase has created synergies with e-commerce, boosting overall growth. According to the Q2 2025 earnings call, Quick Purchase drove a 20% increase in daily active users for the Taobao app in August, not only growing its own revenue but also significantly enhancing user activity, thereby reducing customer acquisition and retention costs for the platform.

After initial rapid scaling, Taobao Quick Purchase's strategic focus is shifting. Media reports indicate that starting November 2025, Alibaba's emphasis is no longer solely on order volume growth but on increasing the proportion of "high-quality orders" above RMB 30 to 60%, while maintaining market share.

This strategic adjustment is already showing results. Alibaba's latest financial report shows that instant retail revenue, including Taobao Quick Purchase, grew 56% year-over-year this quarter, contributing to double-digit growth in active buyers and 88VIP members on the Taobao app. By supporting quality merchants and diversifying supply to meet the needs of core users like 88VIP, the company has improved 88VIP retention. The 88VIP user base is now close to 60 million.

According to information disclosed during Alibaba's earnings conference on March 19, over the past year, Quick Purchase has significantly boosted the platform overall. The annual active buyer count for the e-commerce sector, including Quick Purchase, increased by 150 million, with physical goods e-commerce seeing a rise of 100 million annual active buyers. The growth in Taobao's physical goods annual active buyers exceeded the total growth of the previous three years.

Particularly in categories like food, fresh produce, and health, Quick Purchase's contribution is notable, accelerating the development of related businesses such as Freshippo and Tmall Supermarket. Quick Purchase and instant retail have become foundational to Taobao and Tmall's e-commerce segment, driving new customer acquisition, user engagement, transaction volume, commercialization, and logistics infrastructure.

Based on the latest market information, Alibaba expects the total GMV for instant retail to exceed RMB 1 trillion in fiscal year 2028 and achieve overall profitability by fiscal year 2029, securing a leading market position. This indicates that Taobao Quick Purchase is transitioning from a challenger to a defender and aggressor capable of shaping market rules.