Chinese short video platform Kuaishou has partnered with food delivery and local services giant Meituan to integrate their key services, according to a strategic cooperation agreement reached by the two companies on Monday.
As part of the agreement, Meituan will launch a mini program on Kuaishou’s short video platform. Merchants who use Meituan will be able to list their products, give out coupons, and provide after-sales services to Kuaishou’s users through the mini program.
Short video platforms have reshaped consumer behaviors in China. The likes of Douyin and Kuaishou deliver a steady flow of content, creating new business opportunities for retail, F&B, and other businesses in the e-commerce context. As live commerce becomes more common, food delivery and other forms of consumer services will likely gain traction on short video platforms.
TikTok sibling Douyin has already been integrating food delivery services into livestreams, taking advantage of its active user base of more than 600 million to develop a new line of business.
As the main rival of Douyin, Kuaishou has more than 140 million daily active users and is taking a similar step.
Wang Jianwei, vice president of Kuaishou, said at a press conference on Monday that the partnership between his company and Meituan will provide Kuaishou’s content creators with fresh opportunities to generate sponsored content. At the same time, Meituan merchants will gain a new revenue channel.
By linking up short video and livestream viewers with local businesses like restaurants and gyms, Meituan will gain a major sales channel.
Popular milk tea chains were the first batch of merchants to join Meituan’s mini program on Kuaishou. Other offerings like hotel and homestay listings, ticketing for tourist attractions, and beauty salons will likely be added to the mini program ahead of the New Year and the 2022 Spring Festival.
