With many Chinese citizens not returning to their hometowns this Chinese New Year, e-commerce sites have become even hotter shopping destinations to purchase gifts and essential items for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Two weeks after the launch of a national CNY online shopping campaign on January 20, the Ministry of Commerce said that total online retail sales reached RMB 510 billion (USD 78 billion), as reported by CCTV News.
Among the different categories, food and beverage sales increased 40% year-on-year. Prepared meals were up 380%, holiday dishes up 110%, and sales of full New Year’s Eve dinners saw a more than 70% boost.
A poll by a local news outlet found that over 80% plan to celebrate the 2021 Chinese New Year where they currently are, instead of travelling home like in the years before. Last month, the Ministry of Commerce encouraged e-commerce firms and couriers to stay in business for the upcoming holiday season.
This article is part of KrASIA’s “Key Stat” series, where KrASIA picks and presents the most significant figures of the day’s technology and business world.