Sense of security

Li, a 41-year-old Meituan delivery rider who asked to be identified by his surname, has been delivering for six years in Beijing. "We have traffic accident insurance, but so far I have not heard about the social insurance policy," he said.

Even though the pension premium would be subtracted from his salary, Li said that having social insurance would give him a sense of security.

Feng Yi, director of the research institute under Zheshang Asset Management Co, remarked, "Reform doesn't happen overnight, but JD's decision to provide social insurance for its delivery workers has helped drive industrywide change."

"As temporary workers in the delivery industry are transitioned into formal employees, they gain more motivation to improve service quality," Feng said. "This transformation encourages the industry to shift its focus from cost and speed to quality and service."

This shift in the delivery sector is also expected to accelerate the platform economy's move toward more standardized and people-centered development, according to Feng.

Cheng Kai, a delivery rider with eight years of delivery experience in Beijing, works for multiple platforms, including JD and Eleme, another major player in the on-demand service industry.

"While working for multiple platforms means a lack of stable social insurance from one employer, it is more flexible and enables me to access more orders," Cheng said.

A 46-year-old part-time delivery rider surnamed Dang who has been working with Dada, a delivery platform partnering with JD, for over a year, said that his social insurance is covered by another company he works for. "I am willing to shift my social insurance contribution to the delivery company and quit the other job if it offers the policy because delivery work is more flexible."