Alibaba mapping app steps into local business rankings, intensifying competition

SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Alibaba’s mapping app Amap is moving away from its traditional focus on navigation and is encroaching further into rival Meituan’s local-lifestyle territory by launching its own ranking of restaurants, hotels and tourist destinations. Alibaba and Meituan are among the prominent tech companies in China locked in a bitter battle for market share in “instant retail”, flooding consumers with discounts and coupons in the booming one-hour delivery segment. This has also drawn increased scrutiny from regulators who are worried about a downward price spiral in China, where weak property prices and poor job stability have contributed to a persistent consumer malaise, pressuring companies into aggressive pricing and subsidies to get people spending.Read More