Taobao flash sales and Ele.me group buying, fighting on two fronts with AutoNavi
Ten days after AutoNavi released its Street Sweeper rankings, Taobao Flash Purchase and Ele.me will launch in-store group buying services, prioritizing restaurant deals. On September 20th, Taobao Flash Purchase's group buying service will launch a pilot program in several core business districts in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Jiaxing, followed by a rollout in first- and second-tier cities nationwide. This Saturday falls on a peak order day for Taobao Flash Purchase's instant home delivery service, coinciding with the peak customer traffic during the National Day Golden Week holiday, competing with group buying services from Meituan and Dianping. This service, which will be offered by Taobao Flash Purchase and Ele.me through the same group buying platform, will be launched simultaneously on Taobao, Alipay, and AutoNavi, Alibaba's three largest traffic hubs.