Round-the-clock delivery
Hema supermarkets in Beijing and Shanghai are now offering a round-the-clock delivery service.
According to an item posted on the Alizila news website this week: “Users of the New Retail-driven mobile app who live within a 3-kilometer radius of a store can still get the same “in as fast as 30 minutes” service offered during the day, but now between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. as well.”
Alizila added: “The new offering includes most items in the store, except for some fresh produce. Also, cooked meals, which are a big draw for Hema supermarkets, will be available for delivery until 1 a.m.
“Overnight online shopping is not uncommon among Chinese consumers. According to Alibaba, over 80 million users of its Taobao and Tmall e-commerce sites visit between midnight and 4 a.m., most of whom are women over 30.”
(Alizila is a news website run by the retail giant Alibaba, which also owns Hema.)
Interestingly, ParcelHero has just published a study which indicated that late-night deliveries represented a “monster market” for UK retailers.
