Chinese tech-driven retail company Meituan is expanding its presence beyond Mainland China with a new food delivery app in Hong Kong dubbed KeeTa.
The service is initially running in Mong Kok and Tai Kok Tsui before a planned expansion into the rest of the territory by the end of this year. Brands featured on the app include McDonald’s, KFC, Yoshinoya, Hung Fook Tong and Chicha San Chen.
The app’s features include an “on-time promise” policy, it says is an industry-first in the Hong Kong market and includes a tiered compensation plan for late orders. Users are promised vouchers toward future purchases for eligible orders delivered more than 15 minutes beyond the original delivery estimate.
Joining the HK$5.1 billion market, KeeTa will directly compete with long-established leading players Foodpanda and Deliveroo. Uber Eats, which entered Hong Kong in 2016, exited the market after five years of operation.
“We are seeing an accelerating development of the food delivery market in Hong Kong in the past few years and still unfilled market demands from diners, restaurants and couriers,” said a Meituan spokesperson.
“KeeTa aims to meet users’ demand for high-quality delivery services, help merchants grow their business, and provide more flexible and rewarding employment opportunities for couriers.”
Chinese tech giant Meituan was reported to restructure its ride-hailing service and reduce the number of staff it has working on the platform earlier this year.
