eleme

Ele.me (Chinese: 饿了么) is a Chinese online food delivery platform that connects consumers with restaurants and delivery couriers through mobile apps and a website. It operates as a two-sided marketplace, allowing restaurants to list menus and manage orders while customers place orders for home or office delivery, with couriers handling the delivery logistics. The platform also handles payments, order tracking, and customer service.

Ele.me was founded in 2008 and grew into one of China’s leading food delivery services. In 2018, Alibaba Group acquired Ele.me in a deal valued at about $9.5 billion and folded it into Alibaba’s Local Services group to expand the company’s online-to-offline ecosystem. Since then, Ele.me has maintained a strong presence in major Chinese cities and has extended its offerings to include groceries and other convenience items in some markets.

Operations and technology underpinning Ele.me include a network of delivery personnel, a rating and review system for restaurants and couriers, and algorithms for order routing and delivery time estimation. The platform supports multiple payment options, with Alipay and other methods commonly used by users in China. Pricing typically combines restaurant commissions with delivery fees and promotional pricing.

Ele.me competes primarily with Meituan in China’s food delivery market. The two platforms account for a large share of on-demand delivery in urban areas and are subject to ongoing regulatory oversight affecting gig workers, consumer protection, and competition policy in China.