Takeaway operators know consumers better

Photo shows Meituan delivery personnel packaging the food. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

As China’s digital economy continues to develop in recent years, restaurants have started food delivery services via digital platforms.

Data showed that the takeaway market is worth more than 650 billion yuan. Taking Meituan, China's leading takeaway platform, as an example, the number of orders completed in a single day exceeded 40 million yuan as early as 2020.

The widespread use of digital platforms in the food and beverage industries boosted the digitalization of takeaway services, significantly increasing the demand for takeaway professionals. As a result, the takeaway operator emerged as a new profession.

The 23-year-old Xing Ziyan is a takeaway operator whose daily job is to shuttle through the CBD district in Guangzhou to help merchants launch online menus and promote sales.

“As a takeaway operator, you must keep an eye on any details of the restaurants and takeaways, including food ingredients, packaging, and service attitude,” Xing Ziyan said, noting that any error will have a direct impact on sales.

For businesses with poor performances, you should even help them re-design dishes, redecorate the physical restaurant, optimize promotion and make a timely adjustment based on customer feedback.

The emergence of takeaway operators indicates the gradual professionalization of takeaway operations, creating more job opportunities in the life services sector.

Data from recruitment platforms showed that takeaway operations-related jobs are in high demand in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

A takeaway operator usually earns 10,000 yuan per month. College graduates, ex-servicemen, migrant workers, disabled people and more work forces have stepped into this new profession.

Source: CCTV NEWS; Trans-editing by Guo Yao