Internet changes community life in China

The Internet is changing community life in China, making it possible for residents to order fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and even complete meals that are delivered directly to their door steps.

At one company in Shanghai's central Yangpu District, Daily Kitchen, ingredients ordered directly from suppliers are made into delicious meals on site

Delivery staff then take the finished dishes to people that use telephones, the Internet, or mobile phones to order their food. Each dish is priced at around three U.S. dollars. The meals are delivered within 20 minutes of the order being placed.

Customers say the dishes taste better than other services and are cheaper.

Daily Kitchen was opened in December 2014. It feeds more than 3,000 people that live within three kilometers of the kitchen and has plans to open 200 more outlets across Shanghai within the next two years.

General manager Yang Donghai said their target customers were families with double-incomes, the elderly living alone, those working from home, and new mums.

"The fast pace of modern society puts a lot of pressure on these families. They don't have anytime to cook," Yang said.

Rapid development of the Internet has made O2O (Online to Offline) business models attractive.

At the recently held China (Shanghai) International Technology Fair, an automatic vending machine for fresh vegetables, meat, and seafood attracted wide attention.

The temperature inside the machine stays around 5 degrees centigrade, which keeps the food fresh and is more cost effective than normal markets because of the shorter supply and logistic chains.

Jiang Xingcan, manager of E-Cook Times, the manufacture, said the machines only measure five to ten square meters.

"Customers could not only buy fresh food from the machine but also are-order online and collect their goods from the machine."

The machine has been installed in 16 communities in Shanghai, with plans for another 300 by the end of this year.

At this year's annual parliamentary session, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang challenged traditional sectors to embrace digital technology and to boost efficiency in a grand vision called "Internet Plus".

The "Internet Plus" action plan, unveiled in the government work report, aims to integrate Internet technology with modern manufacturing.

Wu Xingbao, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, said technology could solve daily problems, such as the supply of fresh food and cooked dishes.

"Many modern families have double incomes and the elderly and children to look after," Wu said. "They could use the Internet to help them access commodities and services."

(To watch the video, please turn to China View on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4K82SY76