In an e-mailed statement, a Meituan spokesman said the company "has a track record of competing effectively against its competitors." The company also said "the competitive landscape of on-demand delivery in China is led by Meituan Dianping, which saw its market share increase from 31.7% in 2015 to 59.1% in the three months ended March 31, 2018." ut analysts say Alibaba's investment seems likely to be effective—in the near term at least. In this potentially lucrative but hugely competitive market, customer loyalty is hard to come by, with the majority of customers often opting for the platform that offers the cheapest meals. For years, Ele.me and Meituan have doled out discounts to attract users, and the aggressive spending has led to heavy losses on both sides. Now, by offering fresh discounts, Ele.me can win back some short-term market share, says Zhang Yi, head of consultancy iiMedia Research. "In China's food delivery market, as long as you are willing to spend, there will be results," he says.