China's online food and catering industry is expanding at a very fast rate. A report by the Beijing-based group Analysys International says that 370 million individual orders were placed via mobile phone apps in 2014, that means on average, over a quarter of the Chinese population placed an order last year.
There are four main app-makers dominating the market -- ele-me, meituan, dd.taobao and waimai-baidu. They share a combined 80 percent of the market, and 14 million active users, half of whom are under 30, with students, families and white collar workers being the main consumers.
But the report also highlights some problems, mainly centered on processing and delivery by restaurants, as well as concerns over food safety and customer service.
Analysts are quoted as saying that the industry needs some clear delivery and packing standards, better quality enforcement, and greater platforms for customers to give feedback and ratings.
