(Chinanews.com/Zhang Xinglong)

The number of users utilyzing real-time delivery apps in China has reached 421 million, accounting for approximately half of the country’s total internet users, said a report on China’s internet development issued by China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).

Another recent survey conducted by Meituan Research Institute under Chinese food delivery giant Meituan and the China Hospitality Association indicates that China’s online food delivery market hit 262.3 billion yuan ($36.9 billion) in the first half of 2019, and the whole-year figure is expected to reach 603.5 billion yuan moving up from 461.3 billion yuan a year before.

The survey shows that fast food is the most favored food within online delivery platforms, occupying 69 percent in all food types. Meanwhile, dessert is also a hot choice among Chinese customers.

With the assistance of smart delivery system, China’s real-time delivery service is gradually improving its capability, expanding from the food industry to supermarkets, drug stores, and flower delivery.

Statistics suggest that residential areas are a major destination for the food ordered online, followed by office buildings, schools and hotels.

The average number of transactions made by each user in a year on Meituan’s platform stood at 18.8 two years ago, and it increased to 25.5 between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019.

According to the survey, first-tier as well as second-tier cities are still a major market for online food delivery service, but lower-tier cities are becoming a new growth point whose newly added users accounted for 44.2 percent of the total in the first half of this year.