Autonomous Delivery Gains Ground as Meituan Reports Nearly 2.2 Million Robot Deliveries Since 2020

This is an English adaptation of a FoodBud historical article originally published on June 8, 2022.

After Meituan released its first-quarter results, the company discussed its autonomous delivery operations for foodservice and local commerce. Since early 2020, Meituan autonomous delivery vehicles had completed nearly 2.2 million orders, with heavy deployment in areas affected by Covid-19 restrictions.

From early April to May 24, 2022, Meituan deployed autonomous delivery vehicles in Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing, completing more than 700,000 orders during that period.

Covid-19 response use cases

In Shanghai, Meituan autonomous delivery vehicles supported supply distribution for Ruijin Hospital, Fudan University, makeshift hospitals, and 15 communities including Oasis Kangcheng and Kangcheng Bandao. The vehicles delivered daily necessities to residents, students, teachers, and medical staff, and also supported internal hospital logistics such as nucleic-acid test samples and medical supplies.

During the recent outbreak in Beijing, Meituan continued normal operations in more than 50 communities in Shunyi, delivering fresh produce and other grocery items, while also assisting local communities with supply delivery in several sealed-control areas.

Meituan also kept autonomous delivery vehicles operating at several university campuses during closed-management periods, supporting epidemic-control work and delivering hundreds of thousands of supplies to teachers and students.

The Covid-19 context highlighted a specific use case for autonomous delivery: maintaining fulfillment capacity while reducing contact risk. Each vehicle can carry nearly 150 kilograms per trip, easing pressure on riders and volunteers while lowering infection exposure.

Meituan’s longer-term delivery view

Meituan sees autonomous delivery as a sustainable, technology-enabled supplement to its instant delivery network. Its approach includes autonomous delivery vehicles, drones, and other robotics technologies, with the aim of integrating air and ground last-mile delivery.

The company said these technologies could better serve instant delivery needs in residential communities, office parks, universities, open roads, and similar locations.

North American restaurant chains are also testing automation

FoodBud has also observed that chain restaurant brands in North America are increasingly experimenting with autonomous delivery for off-premise orders. Brands including El Pollo Loco, Chili’s, C3, and Chick-fil-A have been testing drones, robots, and other technologies to reduce delivery fulfillment costs.

Delivery robots have already gained traction on North American college campuses and are gradually moving into use cases beyond universities.

Refraction and Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A has tested Refraction’s autonomous delivery robots. Operator Luke Steigmeyer said Refraction’s robots can help restaurant locations improve the cost-effectiveness of delivery within roughly a one-mile radius.

In fall 2021, Chick-fil-A launched three virtual delivery brands. Initially, delivery was handled in-house, with drivers paid $11 per hour plus 100% of tips.

Refraction began testing its autonomous delivery technology in 2019 with a 3.5-mile delivery radius. The initial focus was restaurant locations, later expanding to retailers and grocery stores. According to Eater, Refraction’s robots can carry six packaged takeout bags and travel at 15 miles per hour.

Drone delivery trials in Shenzhen

Beyond ground-based autonomous delivery, Meituan has also been advancing drone delivery. In April 2022, Weixiaofan trialed drone meal delivery at four Shenzhen stores: Galaxy WORLD, Pingshan Kengzi, Longgang Baolong, and Longgang Kaisa.

After a customer ordered from Weixiaofan on Meituan, store staff sorted, heated, and packed the meal, then handed it to a Meituan drone delivery worker. The drone followed a fixed route and transported the meal to a designated smart pickup cabinet.

When the cabinet detected the approaching drone, it opened automatically, received the meal, stored it at a controlled temperature, and sent the customer a pickup code.

According to Meituan Drone, Meituan began exploring urban drone delivery in 2017, using technology innovation to reshape fulfillment tools and accelerate the development of an air-ground local instant delivery network. The stated goal was to provide a standard 3-kilometer, 15-minute delivery service. As of March 2022, Meituan Drone had launched in eight communities and one business district in Shenzhen, completing nearly 35,000 real-user orders.

Note: forward-looking delivery targets and operating figures are historical as reported in June 2022.