Chinese Food Delivery and Ride-Hailing Companies Smile at Chunje Holiday Boom

Food Delivery Meituan Orders Up 29% from Last Year
Clear Growth in Tourist Spots, Zhoushan Jumps 1000%
Guangzhou↔Haerbin, Specialty Dishes Delivered Over 2800km
Ride-Hailing Didi Chuxing Up 70% Compared to Pre-COVID

During the Chinese Spring Festival holiday period, demand for food and beverage delivery and ride-hailing services surged, allowing related companies to enjoy a special boom.

On the 14th, China’s First Financial Newspaper reported that food and beverage delivery orders during the Spring Festival period increased by 29% year-on-year, according to data compiled by the Chinese food delivery platform Meituan. Regionally, the increase was particularly notable in tourist destinations. Zhoushan saw a 1000% increase compared to last year, Lijiang rose by 140%, and Xishuangbanna grew by 91%. Chengdu and Sanya also recorded increases of 71% and 76%, respectively.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Among the longest-distance orders, one user residing in Guangzhou placed an order for Dongbei specialty cuisine from Harbin, located 2800km away.

Major grocery marts such as Hema and Meituan charge additional delivery fees during the Spring Festival and other holiday periods, considering the shortage of delivery workers and the increased order volume. Hema charges 6 yuan (approximately 1100 won), while Meituan charges around 3 yuan.

Not only food orders but also ride-hailing companies enjoyed a boom. According to Didi Chuxing, online ride-hailing demand from the 10th to the 12th increased by 70% compared to the same period in 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak. It also rose by 60% compared to the same period last year. In particular, in line with the surge in travel demand, ride-hailing requests to airports, train stations, and major transportation hubs were 50% higher than last year.

Popular travel destinations based on the number of ride-hailing trips included Hangzhou West Lake (Xihu), Nanjing Fuzimiao, Chengdu Qingcheng Mountain, Xi’an Datang Furong Garden, Chongqing Jiefangbei, Lijiang Old Town, Guangzhou Changlong Tourist Resort, Suzhou Gardens, Harbin Central Avenue, and Shenyang Zhongyang Street.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.