Too outrageous! One store has opened 15 "ghost takeout" outlets! Shanghai is conducting a special cleanup, with rider reports becoming key clues. Some

The “Regulations on Supervision and Management of Food Safety Responsibilities for Online Catering Service Operators” (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulations”) formulated by the State Administration for Market Regulation are known as the “strictest in history” takeout regulations and will come into effect on June 1 of this year.

The long-standing issue of “ghost takeout,” which has been widely criticized by consumers, is one of the key areas targeted by the “Regulations.” On March 23, a reporter from Liberation Daily and Shangguan News learned from Shanghai market regulation authorities that Shanghai is conducting a special campaign to clean up “ghost takeout,” and a number of “ghost takeout” cases have been investigated.

From August 2025 to January 2026, Shanghai-based Catering Management Co., Ltd. opened 16 brand stores on the Dazhong Dianping platform, including “Cake & Afternoon Tea Break & Dessert Table Customization,” to enhance its competitive edge. Only one of these stores is an actual operating store; the remaining 15 are fictitious “ghost stores.”

The company is suspected of using false business entity information and address credentials for false commercial promotion. Under the jurisdiction designated by the Shanghai Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, the Huangpu District Market Regulation Bureau has initiated an investigation. As of the case’s discovery, the company used fake stores to attract traffic, canceling 106 orders with a total canceled amount of over 100,000 yuan. After the incident, all fake stores have been shut down.

Law enforcement officials stated that, according to the search ranking rules of the Dazhong Dianping platform, the geographic distance between the merchant and the user is a key factor influencing search results. The involved company set up multiple fake stores in different commercial areas to gain priority in search results across various regions, aiming to attract traffic and convert transactions. This behavior essentially involves using false business entity information and address credentials to conduct deceptive commercial promotion and maliciously compete for platform traffic and transaction opportunities.

The company’s actions violate the “Provisional Regulations on Anti-Unfair Competition on the Internet” and constitute unfair competition through false commercial promotion of its business qualifications and credentials online. The Huangpu District Market Regulation Bureau has lawfully ordered the company to cease illegal activities immediately and imposed administrative penalties.

Takeout delivery riders are key “whistleblowers” in purifying the takeout platform. Recently, some clues about “ghost takeout” cases uncovered by regulatory authorities came from delivery riders.

On the morning of March 20, the “Rewarded Reporting Platform for Ghost Takeout” in Putuo District was launched, and an effective report was received from a rider.

The rider recently noticed an anomaly when picking up food at a snack shop called “Xiong Doudou”: the license address listed on a certain takeout platform was No. 1921 Zhongshan North Road, but the actual pickup address was across the street at No. 2170 Zhongshan North Road. The rider learned about the reward reporting platform through the rider station manager and immediately reported this suspicious clue.

After receiving the report, law enforcement officers promptly conducted on-site verification and found that the shop only displayed an expired small food service registration certificate and was using someone else’s license information to operate takeout services—typical “ghost takeout.”

Law enforcement officers visited the site for inspection. [Image source: Putuo District Market Regulation Bureau]

The Putuo District Market Regulation Bureau has lawfully filed a case against this shop. Additionally, relying on an integrated online and offline coordination mechanism, relevant information has been forwarded to Taobao Flash Sale, Meituan, and JD Sec-Send platforms, which have all taken down the store.

Besides reports or clues from delivery riders, regulatory authorities are improving the licensing information verification interface with takeout platforms, enabling real-time updates of catering service providers’ qualification changes and cancellations to assist platforms in efficiently screening suspicious online merchants. The authorities will also push high-risk merchant lists to takeout platforms based on complaints, past violations, and other data, guiding platforms to focus on on-site verification and improve the detection of “ghost takeout.”