Offline Services Go Mobile to Woo Chinese Consumers

September 2016

O2O Service Providers Compete for Chinese Smartphone Users

China has experienced a boom in

the number of mobile

Online-to-Offline (O2O) service

providers over the past few

years. Hot contestants have

come and gone, while a few

players have strongly established

themselves in respective fields.

In this slideshow, we showcase a

few scenarios in which mobile

O2O services have thrived, and

how apps capitalized on these

opportunities, allowing users to

request a wide range of

services and have them delivered

right to their door.

While certain categories such as

food delivery and ride-sharing

are fairly standard, the idea of

on-demand manicurists might

still raise a few eyebrows.

In addition to sharing what’s

going on in the world’s largest

smartphone market, we will also

dig deeper into the factors

driving industry growth.

2 © App Annie 2016

Food Delivery: Apps Rely on Innovation in the Quest for Users

3 © App Annie 2016

The top three spots under the Food and

Drinks category on China’s iOS App Store

have long been dominated by on-demand

delivery apps.

饿了么 (Ele.me), the industry leader, has

received ample investment from tech

giants such as Alibaba.

The app has relied on innovation to

further differentiate itself from

competitors, adding features such as a

game center, a point-based loyalty

program, and a recommendation system.

Ele.me has constantly ranked on top of the

Food and Drinks category on China’s iOS App

Store

Food Delivery: Ele.me Leverages Celebrities to Climb the Charts

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To drive downloads, the app

developer recently hired NBA

superstar Kobe Bryant for a

nation-wide marketing push. The

advertising effort worked well, and by

mid-July of 2016 the app’s position

had surged in the iOS overall chart.

© App Annie 2016

Food Delivery: Chinese Users Can Book Private Chefs From Their Phones

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爱大厨 (Aidachu), one of the more popular apps for

booking professional chefs, allows users to either

choose from the chef’s collection of recipes, or simply

have the chef use readily available ingredients at home.

The app lists out the types of cuisines each chef

specializes in. Each chef is then rated by paying

customers, and has the number of orders completed

clearly highlighted on his/her page.

© App Annie 2016

Laundry and Cleaning: Specialized Apps Are Cleaning Up in China

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e 袋洗 (Edaixi) focuses on professional laundry services and offers on-demand laundry pick-up and drop-off. The app has since successfully received $100 million in series B funding.

Apps such as E 家洁 (Ejiajie) (right) can put Chinese smartphone users directly in touch with professional cleaners for at-home services.

Lifestyle and Travel: Delivering People as a Service

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河狸家 (Helijia) sends professional masseurs, manicurists, and more straight to your door.

Ride-sharing apps like Didi Chuxing are lauded for their

reliability.

Didi Chuxing’s ranking on the iOS App Store in China spiked following news of its acquisition of Uber China

What’s Helped These Apps Succeed?

● Price Incentives: In China, most popular O2O apps offer first-time users generous discounts, trying to attract as many new customers as possible.

● Word-of-Mouth Sharing: To drive growth successful apps encouraging users to share coupons with friends, which helps bringing in more users.

● Multiple Payment Options:

Top O2O apps support widely

used payment systems like

WeChat Pay and Alipay.

● Integrations: Popular food delivery apps have integrated themselves into a wide range of services, including Dianping — an online reviewing platform that later merged with Meituan — and Baidu Map.

8 © App Annie 2016

到家美食会, a food delivery app, prompts users to invite friends for coupons when

completing an order

About App Annie

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