Meituan: Algorithm Management in a Super App
Meituan, China’s lifestyle super app, uses powerful algorithms to optimize food delivery, bookings, and more. But as it scales convenience, it faces growing scrutiny over pressure on riders and fairness for merchants.
At a glance
Founded
2010
Headquarters
Beijing, China
Coverage
2,800+
(cities and counties across China)
Riders
500,000+
Abstract
Meituan, China’s largest lifestyle service platform, has transformed from a group-buying site into a super app that integrates food delivery, travel, entertainment, and retail into a single digital ecosystem. Founded by Wang Xing in 2010, Meituan’s success lies in its ability to combine multiple high- and low-frequency services around a common customer base, creating a seamless online-to-offline (O2O) experience for more than 600 million users across China.
Central to Meituan’s growth is its algorithmic management system, which optimizes delivery routing, merchant visibility, platform coordination, and personalized recommendations in real time. However, the same technology has generated increasing concerns regarding labor conditions, platform power, data-driven inequities, and algorithmic transparency.
This case study explores how Meituan’s algorithmic management drives both operational efficiency and ethical challenges. As the company faces regulatory scrutiny over antitrust practices, worker protection, and platform governance, it confronts a fundamental dilemma: whether to prioritize efficiency and profitability or fairness, transparency, and stakeholder well-being. Through examining the competing interests of customers, merchants, riders, and regulators, the case invites learners to evaluate how digital platforms can balance technological innovation with social responsibility in an increasingly algorithm-driven economy.
Key Topics: Algorithmic Management, Platform Business Strategy, Super App Ecosystem, Stakeholder Management, Digital Platform Governance, Gig Economy Management, Artificial Intelligence in Operations, Platform Economics, Ethical AI and Technology Governance, Online-to-Offline (O2O) Business Model
Cover Photo: Nikkei Asia
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(1) Regarding Case Study Content: This case study is based mainly on secondary data and analysis of publicly available information unless otherwise stated, and is intended solely for educational purposes. Any opinions expressed by the author(s) are designed to facilitate learning discussion and do not serve to illustrate the effectiveness of the company. Additionally, banner images and logos used in the case study are intended for visualization in an educational setting and it is not used to represent or brand the company. For any dispute regarding the content and usage of images and logos, please contact the team.
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