Amid stable growth, food apps adopt high-tech to boost profits

The internet-based food delivery sector in China has entered a stage of stable growth. Companies in the sector are exploring more products and services, and adopting new technologies, to lower costs and boost profits, experts said.

Takeout sales in 2017 were estimated at 204.6 billion yuan ($32.5 billion), up 23 percent year-on-year, and much higher than 86.1 billion yuan back in 2014, which itself was up 71 percent on 2013, according to a report in January from Meituan Dianping, a dining information website.

This shows the pace of growth is no longer explosive, and has slowed, it said.