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Jiang, a young woman from Ningbo in Zhejiang province, says instead of choosing fresh products and bargaining with vendors, she prefers to shop online. In fact, she hasn't been to a market once in the last six months.

Jiang buys fresh products via Tao Xian Da, a one-hour delivery project rolled out by Taobao, China's largest online marketplace. The online store cooperates with a supermarket in Jiang's neighborhood, which enables goods to be delivered to her in about 30 minutes.

The products Jiang buys from online shopping are fresh and of high quality, with a price similar, or sometimes even lower, than in the market.

In Ningbo, 44.8 percent of people born in the 1980s, and 23.9 percent of people born in the 1990s, shop via Tao Xian Da, according to a local news website.

Ele Me, an online food delivery platform, said one-third of its grocery shopping service users are from the post-1990 generation. Surprisingly, middle-aged and elderly users have also increased 500 percent over the last year.

The increasing dependence on online grocery shopping has motivated some platforms to adapt. After a trial run in Shanghai in January, Meituan quickly introduced its grocery delivery service in Beijing.

Industry insiders pointed out that warehouse plays a crucial role in boosting online grocery shopping. Retail giant Suning places its warehouses closer to the consumers to ensure goods reach customers quickly, said a manager of Suning convenience stores in Ningbo.