Year-ender: New trends in Chinese consumption in 2021

Night economy

Thanks to the convenience of the quick deliveries offered by online platforms amid a receding COVID-19 pandemic, China’s nighttime sales of foods and beverages recovered during the summer of 2021, according to a report by Ele.me, a major food delivery platform in China.

According to the report, nighttime orders from camping sites, resort hotels and gyms jumped 30 percent or higher last summer compared to orders in spring, and more than doubled compared to summer last year. Particularly, late-night food orders made from recreational vehicles parked at camping sites surged nearly three times over those in spring.

This shows the prosperous development of China’s night economy, which usually refers to activities that take place between 6 pm and 2 am, bringing economic gains. The night economy covers sectors such as retail, transportation, dining, tourism and other entertainment.

"The late-night dine-in business at restaurants and food delivery business at night, as well as spending at bars, are expected to see rapid growth in the next few years, as young consumers show unremitting demand for late-night consumption," said Zhu Danpeng, an independent food and beverage industry analyst.