Online delivery transforms small town life in NW China

YINCHUAN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- At a fish rice noodle diner in Minning Town in Yongning County, located in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sha Yinfang, a local in her 30s, was busy preparing meals for delivery.

Last year, Sha and her husband quit their city jobs and returned to Minning. Counting on her experience in urban food services, they opened the diner with an online delivery service.

To her surprise, the diner quickly became popular among local residents. It currently handles about 500 delivery orders a month, accounting for over 20 percent of its total revenue.

Minning's food delivery market boomed last year with the arrival of a major Chinese food delivery platform. Seizing the opportunity, 21-year-old Zhang Jianyong became the manager of the town's online delivery station, helping local businesses with online applications and overseeing deliveries.

After leaving the army, Zhang teamed up with others to expand the rural delivery market. "Whether in cities or villages, the demand for convenience is the same," he said.

Besides takeaways, delivery riders in Minning also handle everyday items like household goods, flowers and medicine. "We see small spikes in demand during holidays," Zhang said. "The spread of food delivery to towns and villages has made life easier for residents and given me a stable job with a monthly income of around 5,000 yuan (about 708 U.S. dollars) to 6,000 yuan."

There are now over 100 restaurants and retail stores in Minning, with more than 70 percent offering delivery services, according to Zhang. Local convenience stores, flower shops and pharmacies provide 30-minute delivery services. The town's delivery station has a dedicated team, handling over 100 orders daily, with peak days exceeding 300.

With instant retail and delivery services becoming as essential in towns as in cities, the rural consumer market has grown more vibrant.

In Ningdong Town under Lingwu City, Li Pengjun has been running his retail store for nearly a decade. About six years ago, he was one of the first to take his business online, now offering over 1,000 items for delivery.

"Running an online business allows us to offer a wider range of products, but we can't keep too much inventory," Li said, noting that his online sales now account for half of the store's total revenue, which has helped reduce overhead costs and attract new customers.

Returning entrepreneurs like Sha and Zhang are driving change in the local market with new business models. Their efforts are transforming how businesses operate in these towns and gradually reshaping consumer habits.

Wang Yongfeng, who has run a store in Yongning County for over 20 years, moved nearly 2,000 products online and introduced a 30-minute delivery service in 2018.

"When nearby restaurant owners need supplies but can't leave their shops, they simply place an order online. On scorching summer days, customers can have what they need delivered right to their door," Wang said.

According to the online platform data, in July, transaction volume in Ningxia's county-level markets for life services increased by 18.56 percent, accompanied by a 31.5 percent month-on-month rise in the number of new businesses. This growth has positioned Ningxia among the top six regions in the country.

"Online services have made life easier for rural folks and boosted our small store's earnings. It's a win-win situation," Wang said.