In the not-so-distant future, when reflecting on this year's Internet industry, instant retail will undoubtedly stand out as a significant force. Its popularity isn't merely due to the influx of various players engaging in fierce competition; more fundamentally, instant retail represents an evolution and iteration of a new business model. If we were to label it, instant retail could be deemed the vanguard of the Industrial Internet.

This designation stems from the fact that instant retail transcends traditional subsidy-driven competition. Instead, it competes on novel models, technologies, and strategies—all hallmarks of the Industrial Internet. As instant retail progresses, especially with the involvement of multiple industries and scenarios, the Industrial Internet will increasingly emerge, ushering in a new era.

Therefore, when considering instant retail, it's essential to view it through the lens of the Industrial Internet rather than the Consumer Internet. From this perspective, instant retail isn't a regression to the Consumer Internet era but rather the commencement of a new stage in industrial development within the Industrial Internet. So, what is the nexus between instant retail and the Industrial Internet, and what insights does it offer?

Instant Retail Transforms the B-end Industry

The Consumer Internet primarily targets C-end users, transforming their consumption and behavioral habits from offline to online. In contrast, the Industrial Internet focuses on B-end users, transforming intrinsic elements, production methods, business models, and more—essentially a supply-side reform. Instant retail heralds the Industrial Internet by targeting the B-end industry, showcasing AI technology applications, decentralized business models in the platform economy, and profound changes in B-end production and supply methods.

Viewed thus, instant retail isn't a mere continuation of the Consumer Internet but is marked by B-end industry transformation. As the B-end industry evolves, it paves the way for the Industrial Internet era, characterized by B-end transformation and upgrade. Hence, instant retail serves as the prelude to the Industrial Internet.

Instant Retail Achieves Virtual-Physical Integration

During the Consumer Internet era, the rise of the virtual economy bridged supply and demand, eliminating intermediaries and improving efficiency. However, it failed to achieve coordinated development and deep integration with the real economy, leading to a virtual economy boom and real economy decline. The Industrial Internet aims to bridge this gap by integrating the virtual and real economies.

Instant retail embodies this integration, with the virtual economy excelling in its domain and the real economy in itss. The real economy receives support from the virtual economy in data, technology, and supply chain. Thus, instant retail's operational logic revolves around virtual-physical integration, deriving a new industrial form that combines the best of both worlds—precisely the goal of the Industrial Internet. As instant retail gains traction, the Industrial Internet evolves and implements rapidly.

Instant Retail Brings New Supply-Demand Connections

The true essence of the Industrial Internet lies in reconnecting the supply and demand sides, achieving a new equilibrium. In the latter half of the Consumer Internet era, as traffic dividends waned, supply-demand mismatches increased. Instant retail innovates business models, satisfying instant needs through new supply methods, breaking online retail cycles, solving offline retail traffic issues, and realizing new supply-demand connections—aligning with Industrial Internet goals.

While instant retail establishes these new connections, they remain superficial. For deeper, more sustainable connections, instant retail must undergo profound transformations, including upgrading the connected supply side through AI and platform standardization. As instant retail becomes a major competitive arena, it will evolve beyond its current form, offering more innovative approaches. When instant retail drives significant supply-side changes, we will truly witness the advent of the Industrial Internet era. Thus, instant retail heralds the arrival of the Industrial Internet.

Conclusion

As instant retail gains momentum, it signals the coming of the Industrial Internet. It represents a departure from the Consumer Internet model, embodying the Industrial Internet paradigm. Current instant retail is just the beginning; future advancements will unveil more phenomena, showcasing the true potential of the Industrial Internet.