Chapter 597: Burning Money Again

Xu Yu quickly estimated the cost of delivery subsidies at thirty million.

That is, with the current order volume, Hungry Yet? leading in business amount in Shanghai, increases nearly thirty million in costs each month.

With a large influx of riders, this cost is actually still rising.

Indeed, this thirty million might not even last twenty days.

Then Jiang Qin held a phone conference to understand the business volumes at branches in the four main cities and summarized it into a plan offering rider bonuses amounting to hundreds of millions.

Hungry Yet?, Baidu Delivery, and Praise Delivery all offer two to five yuan extra per order.

Jiang Qin decided to take out a month’s subsidy right from the start and give it to the riders, aiming for a thrilling start!

However, the specific rule of the activity still needs precise data calculation.

But regarding math, Jiang Qin has always been clueless.

After organizing the information, Jiang Qin asked Feng Nanshu for help with a bunch of data calculations.

The reason to choose Feng Nanshu was that Jiang Qin wanted to see not only the results of the calculations but also the process.

He could even lean over to watch…

“Jiang Qin, stop messing with me, I calculated it wrong again.”

Feng Nanshu shrank a bit, her eyelashes quivering.

Jiang Qin, like a gentleman, withdrew his hand: “I didn’t mean to.”

“Ouch.”

“That sound almost seems like you don’t believe me.”

Jiang Qin hugged her waist from behind, watching the numbers tally up, and couldn’t help but nibble on her ear.

Feng Nanshu’s pen slipped, leading to another mistake.

Soon, the Group-Buy Delivery’s promotional event went live.

Posters of the delivery reward spread offline.

Becoming a Group-Buy Delivery rider offers an immediate two thousand yuan cash bonus, a slogan rapidly becoming well-known.

Rider Xiao Wu, formerly from Baidu Delivery, was startled by the ad, wondering if such good fortune had really smacked him in the face!

He quickly downloaded the Group-Buy rider app and after registering, found two thousand yuan lying in his account balance.

“Damn, they’re really handing out free money!”

“Withdraw!”

With a flourish, Xiao Wu prepared to withdraw, but the system redirected him to the full rewards rules.

Complete three days, withdraw one hundred; a week, three hundred; half a month, six hundred; twenty days, one thousand.

If your time is limited or unforeseen circumstances prevent completing the tasks, you can recruit new riders to get leave cards.

Moreover, you can withdraw the staged bonus rewards anytime with same-day transfers.

“This Group-Buy event is so-so.”

“How so?”

“Given the current situation, part-time riders are most numerous. Three days might be doable, but lasting a week is rare, not to mention twenty days.”

Guo Liang from Praise Delivery instantly spotted the problem.

Luo Ping pondered: “That’s true, but if not completed, Group-Buy doesn’t really lose, right? They haven’t paid out the money after all.”

“?”

“Moreover, if I rode for four days, wanted to continue for the next three-hundred, but had to quit due to sudden matters, I’d only get one hundred. Group-Buy would even profit since many might face this situation.”

Guo Ming fell silent: “Isn’t that better? After three days, riders who drifted away will flow back since they can still get our subsidy.”

Luo Ping pursed his lips: “But they have another option—to invite three new riders for a leave card, bringing a constant influx of new riders into the event.”

“…”

“Boss Guo, I have a hunch that rider numbers will surge initially in Group-Buy’s campaign.”

The market is messy, information chaotic, everyone’s focus differs.

Leaders like Guo Ming focus on costs, market managers like Luo Ping on outcomes, so what they observe differs.

Yet, their calculations are not wrong.

Once launched, Group-Buy’s event causes a sudden surge in rider numbers, many withdrawing a quick hundred yen, far more appealing than the subsidy!

Then, part-time riders return to their original platforms to earn order subsidies.

Remaining riders, seeing one thousand nine hundred still in their accounts, quickly make a decision.

“Damn, keep going.”

After withdrawing that one hundred, passing on the nineteen hundred is too tempting.

It’s like leveling up in a game, quite addictive.

Chen Jiaxin, monitoring market data daily, feels an ominous presage about Group-Buy’s campaign.

“We work hard at Hungry Yet? and earn an extra two thousand a month; how can this new campaign model be so effective?”

“This person really understands human nature—one hundred to lure them in, nineteen hundred to keep them hooked.”

Zhang Xuhao adjusted his glasses: “A worthy opponent.”

Chen Jiaxin looked at Zhang Xuhao: “What do we do now?”

“Nothing, he attracted many riders, but the order volume can’t keep up with the rider increase. Continuing this way, each rider gets too few orders, he will be the loser. The balance between riders and orders is fragile.”

It happened as Zhang Xuhao predicted, rider increase was too fast leading to a severe shortage of orders.

Group-Buy Delivery riders clearly felt the reduction in order assignments these past few days.

Xiao Wu delivered forty orders the first day, thirty the next, even fewer the third day, but suddenly many orders came in on the fourth day.

But the orders Xiao Wu received were not food delivery but ingredient distribution for a place called Fresh Meet Mr.

He raced over on his electric scooter, discovered the store had arranged packers working on takeouts, handing them out one by one.

Then he returned to pick up the next order, which was from a snack shop, two small bags of kids’ puffs, delivered near an airport hotel.

The customer seemed in a hurry and even added five yuan to the delivery fee.

It’s like an arrow on the bowstring, must shoot!

Xiao Wu had been a rider for half a year, usually delivering meals, but this type of mixed orders was new to him.

“Group-Buy also does grocery delivery?”

“Yes, aside from groceries, there’s beer, beverages, mineral water, even small appliances and fresh produce.”

“Where are these orders from?”

“Group-Buy runs a community group buying project called Daily Specials, initially done three times a day, now switched to real-time delivery, with a large influx of external orders coming to the delivery app.”

Zhang Xuhao stroked his chin, silent for a long time: “Didn’t expect rider growth so rapid, a last-minute remedy, huh?”

Chen Jiaxin glanced at him, slightly disagreeing.

A last-minute remedy?

No, she didn’t think so.

Chen Jiaxin reached into a drawer, pulling out a Group-Buy Delivery bag left from a market survey.

The slogan “Group-Buy Delivery, fast at everything” was now widely known, even by those who don’t order online, because such plastic bags were too common.

But Chen Jiaxin had once wondered, why not “Group-Buy Delivery, fast food”?

Until now, she realized because today’s Group-Buy genuinely offers everything.

While other delivery platforms remain solely in the food sector battling out, Jiang Qin takes advantage of the campaign trend to cross over successfully.

Jiang Qin rarely burns money in the market, his group-buying business was conducted in the same style: spend as little as possible.

His sudden spending spree is indeed surprising to many.

Some think that Group-Buy has grown larger, with abundant funds, so playing a big spender isn’t weird.

But they didn’t expect, Jiang Qin spent a penny, got two jobs done, making delivery more than just food.

It’s like a wake-up call to other platforms—why limit delivery to meals? If a rider can carry it, an electric scooter can haul it, they could even sell cannons!

Thus, calls to business departments of Carrefour, Yonghui, RT-Mart, and Walmart ramped up in this period.

Look, the market expanded, the delivery market’s valuation increased even more!

Jiang Qin, seeing feedback from the branches, immediately felt the joy of a four-win scenario.

Spending over thirty million increased rider numbers, smoothly transitioned Daily Specials to an instant delivery model, and heightened the market’s fever—three wins.

What’s the fourth win?

The quality of Group-Buy’s current riders.

This is an issue many overlook.

Indeed, the rider industry is mostly part-time, less full-time.

But in terms of skill, efficiency, and service ability, it’s the full-time riders who excel.

Late into the campaign, part-time riders, due to limited time, fail to secure the next reward and soon return to other platforms.

Those who clinch the full two thousand are likely high-efficiency, ample-time, and smooth-operating riders.

While the general scale of riders in the market hasn’t changed dramatically, Group-Buy’s quality riders are rapidly increasing.

The market’s large, but money and resources are fixed.

So why do some earn while others don’t?

It’s because, amidst the same wealth and resources, some consolidate the best into their hands.

These high-quality riders clinching the full two thousand, Jiang Qin plans not to let them go. He intends to ensure them, sign contracts—this is called selection.

Actually, Baidu Delivery also selects riders, offering many quality riders generous bonuses to keep them from other platforms.

But their selection is from their own platform’s few tens of thousands. Jiang Qin, however, has selected across the entire delivery industry.