China turns to internet for food supplies amid virus fears

Wang Feng, house-bound by China’s virus outbreak, counts on parka-cl delivery drivers of e-commerce giant JD.com to keep her kitchen stocked. Demand for online food vendors has surged since China’s government told public to stay home as part of most sweeping anti-disease controls ever imposed.

On Tuesday, Wang’s phone buzzed with a text mess that a delivery h arrived. retiree bundled up against winter cold, put on a face mask and emerged from her apartment complex to collect walnut milk and or goods from shelves on sidewalk — an anti-virus measure to limit contact with drivers who rmally go door to door.

“y work really hard, and it’s dangerous,” said Wang. “Without ir services, we would t be able to survive at all."

JD.com Inc. and rivals including Pinduoduo, Missfresh Inc. and Alibaba Group’s Hema are scrambling to fill a boom in orders while trying to protect ir employees.

E-commerce is one of few industries to thrive after anti-virus controls starting in late January closed factories, restaurants, cinemas, offices and shops nationwide and extinguished auto and real estate sales.

government is trying to revive ecomic activity but has told anyone who can work from home to stay re. Some cities have imposed controls that allow only one member of a family out each day. That creates a rey market for online entertainment and shopping.

“I can’t go out and can’t go to work,” said one of Wang’s neighbors, Chen Guang, who was picking up a box of vegetables from sidewalk shelves under a sign that said, “Contactless Distribution Point.”

Chen, who wore an entry pass for his apartment complex around his neck, said he shops online two to three times a week to replenish kitchen supplies.

JD says over past month, its drivers delivered 71,500 tons of rice, flour and or grains — 20 times more than same period last year, — 27 million liters of cooking oil and 50,000 tons of meat, eggs, vegetables and or fresh products.

Pinduoduo said orders for apples, strawberries and or fresh fruit from its 586,000 sellers of agricultural products were up 120% in January.

Disease fears in or Asian markets also have propelled e-commerce demand for food and hygiene supplies. Korea Ecomic Daily said online mask sales in South Korea rose 37,000% in January over a year earlier.

Chinese e-commerce companies emerged in a market that lacked credit cards, reliable delivery and or features ir counterparts in United States and Europe take for granted. That required JD, Alibaba and some or competitors to create ir own online payments systems or networks of warehouses and delivery drivers.

JD has a 180,000-strong workforce of drivers and warehouse workers and says it is hiring 20,000 more to meet demand. company said Da Group, a delivery service in which JD is an investor, is ding 15,000 to its workforce.

At a JD distribution center on Beijing’s souast side, employees in red parkas, masks and gloves sorted packs and sprayed m with disinfectant.

Goods from oranges and toilet paper to 32-packs of beer and cat litter came off trucks on one side of building and passed down a conveyor belt to be sorted for individual drivers. Pded blue boxes held fresh fruit and vegetables.

On or side of building, drivers loed battery-powered three-wheeled delivery vans emblazoned with JD’s logo, a cartoon dog called Joy.

aver driver delivers 150 to 190 packs a day, according to Sun Lansong, facility’s manr.

"Customers used to buy a lot of electronics,” Sun said. “w y are buying rice, odles, grain, oil, disinfectant, masks and so on.”

Sun said distribution center employees and drivers spray packs, vehicles and ir work stations with disinfectant and wash ir hands repeatedly during day. All are issued masks and gloves.

“Before, it might have been rude to talk to people while wearing a mask. But w it feels much better,” said Sun.

Or companies say y impose similar safety measures.

Yanxuan, an online consumer products vendor owned by NetEase Inc., said it is giving away masks, hand sanitizer and or anti-disease products in Hubei, province at center of outbreak.

Pinduoduo Inc. anunced launch of a “Help Farmers” channel this week to allow customers to buy directly from producers in poor areas.

It said that was intended to support suppliers that are having trouble getting shipments to tritional markets due to anti-virus measures. company promised 500 million yuan ($70 million) to subsidize purchases.

Tritional grocery stores are open and heavily stocked as government tries to reassure public that food supplies are ample following a bout of panic buying after most access to central city of Wuhan was suspended on Jan. 23. But many households are avoiding going out at all.

"w everyone pays more attention to it, for ir own and everyone's safety, to try to go out as little as possible, responding to nation’s call,” Wang said.

E-commerce companies also have been squeezed by anti-disease controls. Employees were stranded in ir hometowns following Lunar New Year holiday after bus and train services in some areas were suspended to contain outbreak.

Sun said one of his facility’s employees from Hubei, province at center of outbreak, and two from neighboring Henan province h yet to return.

"I’m t afraid. Still same. It feels like coming to work is making a contribution to society,” said Sun. “It sounds like this virus is terrible. In fact, virus can be prevented."

volume of goods being delivered has risen 30% since outbreak, said a JD driver, Li Hu. He said effort required is partly offset by only being allowed to take packs to a sidewalk collection point.

"Customers are very supportive,” Li said. “y all understand volume is bigger. y are short of daily necessities,” he said. “As soon as we arrive and call, customers come down immediately.”