Alipay has launched a new partnership with food delivery platform Hungry Panda, to support New Zealand hospitality businesses to adapt and rebuild their operations following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
The New Zealand Government’s decision to begin easing restrictions enables businesses to recommence takeaways and meal deliveries, providing an important opportunity for the industry to resume trading.
The ‘Zero Contact’ partnership, which draws on Alipay’s experience supporting hospitality businesses in China during their earlier COVID-19 outbreak, will provide a new mobile channel for New Zealand businesses to offer meal and grocery delivery specifically aimed at New Zealand’s 230,000 Chinese residents.
Alipay users can access the Hungry Panda delivery platform through the app, with the additional assurance that orders are prepared and delivered in a ‘zero contact’ process to minimise the risk of viral transmission. Users will be able to order both groceries from participating grocers and supermarkets, and meals from participating cafes and restaurants.
Alipay ANZ Director John O’Loghlen said the initiative would support New Zealand’s hospitality sector to better engage with the Chinese New Zealander community during the COVID-19 pandemic, and provide a greater degree of assurance to customers concerned about the safety of home delivery.
“Similar to many areas of the economy, restaurants and the tens of thousands of people they employ around the country have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. However as more Kiwis are advised to self-isolate in their homes and dine-in hospitality options are shuttered, takeaway and delivery services are more vital than ever before.”
“Drawing on Alipay’s experience supporting restaurants during the earlier COVID-19 outbreak in China, we hope this campaign will encourage businesses to digitise their offering and utilise our channels to engage with our substantial Chinese New Zealander community. We also hope the stringent safety measures we are implementing, including zero contact delivery, will provide consumers with the confidence they need to continue supporting the industry.”
“By taking care of each other in this difficult time, we are helping ensure the future viability and strength of New Zealand’s vibrant and world-renowned culinary scene.”
The Zero Contact campaign has already attracted significant demand from consumers, with an increase of more than 500 per cent in Alipay orders made through the Hungry Panda platform in April compared to March.
The campaign will leverage Alipay’s experience enabling businesses to continue operating during the peak of China’s COVID-19’s outbreak. During that period, Alipay supported and enabled the operations of one of China’s top grocery supply chain service providers, Meicai, which saw a 300% increase in transactions and over 800,000 new users in just one week after partnering with Alipay to promote its services during the pandemic.
Alipay, Ant Financial and the Alibaba Group have utilised a variety of innovative technologies to support initiatives to combat COVID-19 and support economies around the world. In China, Alipay has deployed a blockchain-based coronavirus prevention information platform, while Alibaba Group has developed artificial intelligence which can identify coronavirus infections with a 96 per cent accuracy rate.
