Meituan Unveils AI Business Tool Suite for the First Time, Already Serving Over 1.8 Million Brick-and-Mortar Merchants

On April 29, Meituan systematically disclosed for the first time the latest progress of its AI tool suite designed for brick-and-mortar merchants via its official WeChat account. Following continuous iterations and upgrades, the core features of Meituan's "AI Mini Butler" have cumulatively served over 1.8 million brick-and-mortar merchants, marking a critical milestone in the large-scale deployment of AI technology in the local life services sector.

Full Coverage Across Four Major Scenarios: Reshaping Merchant Operations with AI

The "AI Mini Butler" unveiled by Meituan is not a single product but rather a comprehensive AI tool suite covering the entire merchant operations chain. It features core capabilities including site selection analysis, business data insights, intelligent customer service responses, and storefront visual design, with support for dialect recognition and accessible voice interaction.

In terms of specific application scenarios, Meituan has achieved notable results in four key areas:

Site Selection and Store Opening: The company's "Kangaroo Advisor" has generated 320,000 site selection reports for merchants, achieving an accuracy rate of 87%, helping merchants make data-driven location decisions before opening and effectively reducing operational risks.

Business Operations Services: The "Smart Shopkeeper" handles proactive inquiries from nearly 100,000 merchants weekly and has resolved 6.6 million business operation issues cumulatively, becoming a "digital strategist" in merchants' daily operations.

Reputation Management: Dianping's AI system intercepted approximately 4.05 million abnormal reviews over the year, helping merchants maintain an authentic review ecosystem and safeguarding the interests of both consumers and businesses.

Service Retail: The "AI Digital Employee" now covers over 200 industry categories, providing round-the-clock online services across four key roles — customer service, store manager, operations, and shift scheduling — truly realizing the concept of a "digital employee that never clocks out."

Differentiated Strategy: Tailored Solutions for SMBs and Chain Brands

Notably, Meituan has adopted a differentiated approach in rolling out its AI merchant services.

For small and medium-sized merchants, Meituan has chosen to open up core features, primarily addressing two major pain points: "insufficient manpower" and "information gaps." For the vast number of family-run shops and sole proprietors, hiring professional operations teams is prohibitively expensive, and AI tools can bridge the gaps in human resources and information access at a minimal cost.

For chain brands, Meituan offers customized solutions, positioning itself as a "store telescope" for headquarters. This enables brand headquarters to monitor each store's operational performance, market feedback, and other key data in real time, facilitating more precise management decisions.

This tiered service strategy reflects Meituan's deep understanding of the operational pain points facing merchants of different scales, enabling AI tools to more accurately match specific needs.

Open Co-Creation: Over 30 Brands Join the "AI Butler Experience Officer" Program

To further refine the product experience, Meituan has launched the "AI Butler Experience Officer" program, continuously inviting merchants who are enthusiastic about and in need of AI technology to participate in priority beta testing and product co-creation. Currently, more than 30 brands — including Jinguyuan, Xushengji, Xufuniu, and Pujia Baiding — have joined the initiative.

This "co-creation" model means that Meituan is not merely a technology provider but aims to drive product iteration through real merchant feedback, making AI tools more closely aligned with actual business scenarios.

Industry Outlook: The Local Life Services AI Race Enters Deep Waters

Meituan stated that the capabilities of "AI Mini Butler" stem from 16 years of data accumulation and industry experience in serving local brick-and-mortar merchants. This statement reveals the core competitive moat in local life services AI — it's not just about technical prowess, but about deep understanding of industry scenarios and long-accumulated data assets.

From an industry trend perspective, AI applications in local life services are transitioning from "nice-to-have enhancements" to "essential infrastructure." When AI tools can effectively solve core business challenges such as site selection, operations, and customer service, they are no longer optional but rather indispensable capabilities for merchants seeking competitive advantages.

The service scale of 1.8 million merchants also sends an important signal: large-scale deployment of AI technology on the B-side is far from out of reach — the key lies in identifying genuine pain-point scenarios and delivering quantifiable value. As Meituan continues to ramp up its AI merchant services, the intelligent upgrade of the local life services industry is poised to accelerate further.