China’s Online-to-Offline (O2O) industry is taking off, with apps addressing needs including food delivery, laundry and even on-demand foot massages.

1. Offline Services Go
Mobile to Woo Chinese
Consumers
September 2016

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Food Delivery: Chinese Users Can Book Private Chefs From Their Phones
5
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

6. 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.

7. Lifestyle and Travel: Delivering People as a Service
7
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

8. 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

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