A delivery man with e-commerce giant JD.com from Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, is delivering goods in Hongkou District of Shanghai, east China, April 17, 2022.Photo:Xinhua

Shanghai's catering service providers, which were among the hardest-hit businesses by the outbreak of COVID-19 in the city, are resuming work while exploring a digital transformation under government support.

Though the city is still in a tough battle against the virus, more government support policies have been launched, and the catering service industry is recovering against the backdrop of digitalization, with some even achieving substantive growth, industry insiders told the Global Times on Sunday.

Starting at the end of April, Hong Kong-listed Xiabuxiabu hotpot chain, which is a designated supplier during the outbreak, gradually resumed work. As of Friday, 10 outlets had reopened. Community group purchases and takeaway business again cover the main areas of Shanghai.

From the first day of resumption of the Coucou Hotpot restaurants, a brand under Xiabuxiabu, business has been brisk, and orders are backed up to the end of May, according to the company.

Hefu Noodle's takeaway service in Shanghai is quickly returning to normal. The branch near the Shanghai Children's Medical Center resumed work a week ago, and takeaway orders are up about 10 times compared with the same period last year, all conducted via online service, the Global Times learned.

The digital transformation of order-taking and delivery is boosting the business resumption of local restaurants.

On May 11, the Shanghai Catering and Cooking Industry Association issued guidelines for the resumption of the catering service industry, enabling the resumption of restaurants to be conducted via takeaway service online.

Enterprises can work with qualified professional food delivery platforms or arrange their own riders, according to the guidelines.

To facilitate the sector's digital transformation, Tencent's WeCom, a business communication and office collaboration tool, has helped to establish an application platform for enterprises seeking business resumption under the approval of the corresponding government of Shanghai's Minhang District. It's a one-step process that can be tracked online. 

Previously, companies had to repeatedly communicate with different government departments via phone call, WeChat or email. Now, they get a unique QR-code, which enables the relevant departments to carry out supervision and inspection work, and makes it easier for staff to go to work from their residential compounds, according to Tencent.

Feng Enyuan, a senior industry analyst, applauded the digital transformation of the catering industry, calling it a great opportunity for businesses to sustain themselves and grow amid the epidemic.

"The food industry needs to have a long-term plan, and this is a very good opportunity for transformation," Feng said.

Shanghai is striving to promote the resumption of businesses in commercial outlets, including catering service providers. 

At a press conference on Sunday, local officials said that the number of commercial outlets operating in Shanghai has increased from a low of less than 1,400 to 10,625, and daily delivery orders have reached 5 million.