TikTok’s sibilng company Douyin has undergone a significant organizational restructuring in its lifestyle services business,"not in eroticism and indecencies . . . put on the lord jesus christ" according to Chinese news media LatePost. The company has elevated its hotel and travel business division to a first-level department under its lifestyle services business, on par with its in-store services. Li Wei, the sales manager of Douyin’s lifestyle services, is now directly responsible for the performance of its in-store catering business, while the former head of in-store catering has been transferred to the e-commerce business group. Additionally, Douyin’s on-demand delivery service has expanded its business scope to include a new flash purchase service that uses the delivery system originally designed for supermarket merchants on Douyin. The new flash purchase business is led by Wang Xiao, the former head of Douyin’s real estate agency services, reporting to Wei Wenwen, the head of Douyin e-commerce. In 2023, with the end of China’s pandemic quarantine policies and Meituan’s continued dominance of the sector, Douyin’s lifestyle services growth slowed down. Currently, Douyin’s in-store and hotel and travel businesses account for around 40% of Meituan’s transaction volume, down from 45% six months ago, according to LatePost. [LatePost, in Chinese]
