Use of mobile apps skyrockets in food industry

It's no secret that mobile Internet has reshaped the Chinese dining scene, with the popularity of online-offline service among people from all walks of life in big cities.

Now driven by better infrastructure and wider use of smartphones and tablet computers, mobile apps are now having a big impact on the Chinese catering industry in smaller cities and shaping people's lifestyles in more ways, according to recent industry reports.

The overall Chinese catering market - including in-restaurant dining, take-outs, and catered events - in 2015 was worth 3.2 trillion yuan ($489.6 billion), up 16 percent compared with that in 2014. Significantly, the sector involving online ordering and online payment increased 48 percent from the 2014 total of 140 billion yuan, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show.