Chinese food delivery platforms Ele.me and Meituan ramp up ahead of stay-at-home Spring Festival
- Food delivery platform Meituan Waimai said searches for ‘Lunar New Year meals’ increased 200 per cent compared with the same period last year
- Local authorities have warned, however, that platforms need to keep an eye on food safety and avoid unfair competition
China’s Lunar New Year holiday is approaching and food delivery companies have been ramping up their orders as more people avoid travelling for family reunions over celebratory meals.
Ele.me, the country’s second largest food delivery platform, said that nearly 200 catering brands have offered Lunar New Year’s dinner sets on its platform as of Tuesday. Such services cover 5,000 offline restaurants, a 260 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. Ele.me is owned by Alibaba Group Holding, the parent company of the South China Morning Post.
Meituan said on Thursday that since January 15, the search volume for “Lunar New Year meals” on its food delivery platform Meituan Waimai increased 200 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Last week, authorities urged the public to go online to satisfy their needs for entertainment, shopping and festive meals. To make spending the holiday at home more appealing, tech companies have been encouraged to meet user demand.