Dingdong Fresh Increases Investment in Vegetable Supply Chain, Launches Distribution Centers in Two Major Production Bases: Shouguang, Shandong and Kunming, Yunnan

Recently, reporters learned that Dingdong Maicai has opened vegetable origin warehouses in two major core vegetable producing regions, Shandong and Yunnan, and they are now officially operational.

As an important vegetable supply base in China, Shouguang is known as the “Hometown of Chinese Vegetables,” responsible for supplying vegetables during the winter and spring across the country. Yunnan, with its high-altitude climate, has become an important plateau vegetable production area in China. With the opening of these two regional warehouses, Dingdong Maicai is attempting to build warehouses near the “vegetable fields,” moving warehousing, distribution, and quality inspection systems closer to the source, and promoting the further upstream extension of the fresh produce supply chain.

Regional Warehouses at Core Production Areas: Accelerating the Vegetable Supply Chain

It is understood that the Shouguang regional warehouse is Dingdong Maicai’s first warehouse at a production site, established based on the advantages of the Shouguang National Vegetable Distribution Center. The warehouse covers over 1,300 square meters, including dry storage and cold storage areas, capable of handling vegetable sorting, pre-processing, and cold chain circulation. The Kunming regional warehouse was established to match seasonal changes in vegetable production, mainly serving high-altitude vegetable supply. It is nearly 1,000 square meters and primarily supports the supply of Yunnan’s specialty vegetables.

In terms of product structure, the Shouguang warehouse mainly includes high-frequency vegetables such as melons, eggplants, garlic, ginger, potatoes, and other table staples. The Kunming warehouse focuses on small but high-quality specialty categories, including beans, leafy greens, and high-altitude gourds and peppers.

By establishing regional warehouses, Dingdong Maicai moves key logistics and quality inspection processes to the source, significantly improving the circulation efficiency of vegetable categories. Pre-emptive quality inspection and packaging reduce transfer links in the traditional circulation chain. Compared to traditional logistics, products circulating through regional warehouses can reduce about one day of transit time. For example, vegetables from Shouguang can go from farm to table in 24–36 hours via regional warehouses, compared to over two days through traditional channels.

Notably, Dingdong Maicai maintains an overall fresh produce loss rate of within 1.5%, which is considered highly efficient in the fresh produce industry.

Pre-Quality Control: Food Safety Testing Starts at the Source

In traditional fresh produce distribution, many companies mainly focus on appearance, size, and grade during regional acceptance, with relatively few tests for food safety indicators. To enhance control over vegetable quality and safety, the two regional warehouses established by Dingdong Maicai are equipped with professional quality control laboratories.

These quality control labs at the warehouses can conduct pre-emptive testing for pesticide residues and other safety indicators, including organophosphates, carbamates, and other key risk factors, strengthening food safety management from the source.

In addition to food safety testing, Dingdong Maicai has also established standardized quality management systems for different product categories. For example, for bitter melon, old ginger, and large Chinese cabbage, the platform has set specific quality acceptance standards, which are enforced by the regional quality control teams.

Placing quality control at the source improves supply chain efficiency. On one hand, completing quality inspections in the production area allows for timely detection and handling of anomalies, reducing uncertainties in subsequent circulation links. On the other hand, professional quality control at the source can guide handling during post-harvest storage, packaging, and transportation, helping to maintain freshness and extend shelf life.

For the platform, this pre-emptive quality control model not only enhances supply chain stability but also helps optimize overall supply chain costs.

Moving Upstream: Building a Richer, Differentiated Product Matrix

In recent years, Dingdong Maicai has continuously increased its investment in source regions by directly connecting with core production areas and operating self-owned farms, strengthening control over the source and further developing differentiated fresh products and full-chain quality management.

Since implementing its differentiated product strategy last year, the platform has seen significant growth in regional specialty vegetables such as desert vegetables and high-altitude vegetables. These specialty ingredients from high mountains, lakes, and deserts demand higher standards for supply chain timeliness and quality control. Meanwhile, Dingdong Maicai continues to develop niche ingredients for the mass market. For example, during this spring’s vegetable season, the platform plans to launch 125 spring vegetable varieties, including Dali seaweed flowers, deer ear chives, lotus flowers, and pumpkin blossoms. By continuously exploring niche spring vegetables across the country, Dingdong Maicai has brought over 50 local specialty spring vegetables from their origins, becoming a favorite “Internet King Baochuan” among many users.

The establishment of these two regional vegetable warehouses signifies that, as the source supply chain system continues to upgrade, Dingdong Maicai’s efficiency and stability in vegetable supply are further improving, providing a more solid supply chain foundation for the platform’s ongoing development of regional specialty ingredients.