By Casey Hall

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Alibaba’s mapping app Amap is moving away from its traditional focus on navigation and encroaching into rival Meituan’s local-lifestyle territory by launching its own ranking of restaurants, hotels and tourist destinations.

Alibaba and Meituan are among the prominent tech companies in China locked in a bitter battle for market share in “instant retail”, flooding consumers with discounts and coupons in the booming one-hour delivery segment.

This has also drawn increased scrutiny from regulators who are worried about a downward price spiral in China, where weak property prices and poor job stability have contributed to a persistent consumer malaise, pressuring companies into aggressive pricing and subsidies to get people spending.

Amap’s new function, a

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