Apple offers free three-hour delivery in Chinese cities

Apple has launched free three-hour delivery for in-stock products, including iPhones and MacBooks, in select mainland Chinese cities starting December 10.

Previously, Apple charged 45 yuan (US$6.4) for this express service in mainland China, which has been available in certain regions since 2022.

Apple’s resellers in China have also partnered with Meituan to offer deliveries under an hour for orders placed through the food delivery platform.

The move comes as Apple faces increasing competition from Chinese smartphone makers like Huawei and Xiaomi.

Counterpoint Research reported Apple’s smartphone sales in China rose 37% year-on-year in October, with iPhones accounting for one in four smartphones sold that month.

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post

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Apple’s free three-hour delivery rolls out in select mainland Chinese cities; coverage details remain undisclosed

Free three-hour drop-off launches for in-stock orders in some mainland locations. It has not named the cities. Shoppers do not know if only Beijing and Shanghai qualify. Guangzhou or Shenzhen may be included, or more areas.
iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other items qualify. Apple charged 45 yuan for this faster option in some places starting in 2022. That track record hints the network runs in limited zones, not nationwide.
No end date given. Only in-stock items qualify, and Apple has not shared order minimums or stock-keeping unit (SKU) limits. Many online buyers in mainland China cannot yet tell if this beats standard free shipping.

3C (computer, communications, consumer electronics) brands can use JD Hourly Purchase for instant delivery

JD Hourly Purchase (京东小时购) is JD.com’s one-hour local delivery program. Phone orders rose 70% year over year during March 3 to 8, 2023, with new models like Honor X50i (from Chinese smartphone brand Honor) arriving in an hour at launch.
Typical entry needs a valid business license and at least one store or warehouse with stock. Partners meet JD delivery standards with a steady supply chain. Third-party guidance says onboarding is by invite.
JD’s logistics runs a full chain from warehousing to last mile. New entrants tap an instant retail market near 40 billion orders in 2022. Rivals like Taobao (Alibaba’s e-commerce marketplace), Meituan, and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok owned by ByteDance) expand similar networks.