Scorching heat turns pleasant for food delivery, ride-hailing services

A traffic policewoman drinks water while on duty in Hengshui, Hebei province, July 12, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

As hot weather swept across China over the past two weeks, it also brought new opportunities, fueling businesses such as food delivery and online ride-hailing service, 21st Century Business Herald reported.

Most parts of the country are reeling under high temperature, especially Shanghai, which recorded its hottest day on July 21, as the temperature surged to 40.9 C. It broke the 145-year-old record kept by the meteorological station in the Xujiahui area.

According to the 21st Century Economic Institute, beverages, air conditioners and sun blocks are also witnessing brisk business.

Restaurants have seen a surge in lunch orders since June, with Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou topping the chart, according to data from Ele.me, one of the country's largest online catering platforms.

Home delivery order of fresh food such as vegetables, fish and meat jumped by 116.9 percent in July, compared with 40.43 percent in May, according to a survey by Benlai, a leading online shopping platform for food ingredients in China.

Didi Chuxing, China's biggest ride-hailing company, said it saw a jump in trip volume between July 11 to 13. In Shanghai, the figure rose 13 percent in July.

Compared with popular online ride-hailing, bike-sharing service seems to be temporarily out of favor in hot summer. According to data from iResearch Consulting Group, the number of people using the service fell in June, except for ofo, which saw a more than 5 percent rise.

The 21st Century Economic Institute said the trend of "high temperature economy" created more business opportunities for online shopping platforms. For brick-and-mortar stores, it has become a major task to explore new ideas and innovation services, in order to attract more people to consume.