In a recent survey of Chinese consumers by Guy Carpenter-affiliate Oliver Wyman, eight out of 10 respondents said their food choices have changed during the COVID-19 outbreak, and half of them reported a substantial change. The consultancy also found in the survey that Chinese e-commerce players are the biggest winners. This is because 62 percent of the respondents said they have shopped more often online for food in the past month, and 56 percent said they have expanded their reach to other online grocers for their food purchases during the outbreak.
Explosive growth among e-commerce platforms; new platforms have benefited the most
China is the largest e-grocery market in the world, and it had already exhibited very strong momentum. The stay-at-home control measures during the outbreak have only accelerated the speed of adoption. Reflecting this, 56 percent of survey respondents reported that they have gone beyond their go-to online platforms to other online grocery platforms to meet their needs.