Deliveries increase as road to recovery beckons

Deliveryman Zhang Hailin has become busy again these days as his orders doubled from last month.

The 43-year-old works for China's major online food delivery platform Meituan Dianping in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province. His delivery service mainly covers the areas around Tiexi Square in Tiexi district.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak since late January, Zhang just experienced the toughest month since he took up the job over a year ago.

When the situation of the epidemic became serious across the country in February, Zhang had to endure near-idle working days, receiving only six orders on the worst day. And he got less than half his normal income last month.

"The spring has come and the virus has been put under control. See, we have more orders again," Zhang says.

In March, Zhang's orders rose to about 30 each day.

"Although the figure is much less than the 40 or 50 orders per day before the epidemic, it is still better," Zhang says, adding that as the epidemic situation improves, enterprises have resumed work and production, and people's demand for takeout food has gradually increased.

Statistics show that as of March 9, more than 90 percent of industrial enterprises above a designated size and more than 60 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises had resumed operations in Shenyang.

The variety of goods Zhang delivered is also wider. From the Spring Festival holiday to early February, delivery people mainly sent fresh food, masks and medicines to customers.

Du Denghua, Zhang's colleague, says that at the beginning of the virus outbreak, people stayed at home and rarely went out, and many rushed to purchase staples like rice, flour and cooking oil online. The goods for each order were very heavy at that time, and they once even crushed his electric bike's frame.

As the epidemic situation eases, Zhang is delivering fewer heavy goods but more takeout food.

"The goods I deliver have changed from cool to hot," Zhang says. Before the work and production resumption, all restaurants were closed, and the goods in Zhang's delivery box were all "cool" daily necessities.

Since mid-February, restaurants have resumed operations and people are beginning to trickle back to work after being stranded in their hometowns during the prolonged holiday.

The takeout orders for barbecue and hotpot have increased significantly, with Shenyang ranking among the top 10 in the national hotpot takeout sales, according to a report released by Meituan recently.

"Now, we have over 80 takeout orders every day," says Ji Tuo, manager of a barbecue restaurant in Shenyang. "Dining-in has also recovered gradually."

According to Meituan's big data statistics, from Feb 17 to March 1, the resumption rate of catering businesses nationwide has exceeded 55 percent. Thirty percent of the online catering businesses across the country had more takeout orders than before the coronavirus outbreak.

More than 10 couriers at Zhang's delivery site in Tiexi district resigned last month. One major reason was the sharp decline in income due to the drop in delivery orders.

On March 11, several young men applied for the posts of couriers. "As the economy gradually recovers, delivery people will become busier and the demand for the number of delivery people will also increase," says Hong Qibo, who is in charge of the site.

The takeout data, which connects both the catering industry and consumers, serves as a barometer of the country's economic recovery and vitality.

According to the report released by Meituan, as the epidemic prevention and control situation continues to improve and enterprises across the country have gradually resumed operation, the consumption of food and beverage takeout, which had been suppressed previously, has been released. Consumers have developed new habits of online shopping. The great demand has boosted food and beverage practitioners' confidence as more catering businesses begin to resume operation.

The report also says that as restaurants nationwide have not fully recovered, the takeout business has taken the lead in the catering industry. Catering enterprises have increased their incomes through takeout platforms to buffer the impact of the virus outbreak.

From less to more, from simple to complicated, and from cool to hot, the small delivery box hides the signal of China's economic recovery. "The most difficult days have passed, and I believe we will get better and better," Zhang says.