(Yicai Global) Dec. 13 -- Chinese fresh produce platforms are making great efforts to boost delivery capacity, China News Agency reported today, addressing complaints from Beijing residents. Online orders have soared as more people opt to stay home as the number of Covid-19 cases surges amid an easing of pandemic control measures.

Delivery capacity is stretched as some couriers and staff responsible for sorting parcels are not able to come to work, e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding’s supermarket chain FreshHippo told China News Agency.

Wumart, Meituan, Dingdong Maicai and FreshHippo are warning customers that they have no spare manpower to carry out deliveries today or that the goods they want are out of stock.

"Our couriers are working flat out to meet the jump in online orders. We apologize if there are any delays," according to a message on retailer Wumart’s Dmall app.

And it is not only Beijing, netizens in southern Guangdong province, central Hubei province and northern Hebei province are also complaining that there have been delays in the delivery of their takeouts and other items ordered online.

As a result, platforms are trying to increase their delivery manpower.

We are requesting staff to be transferred from other Wumart stores to help with deliveries, sorting parcels, packaging and other tasks, an executive at the Beijing-based firm said. But couriers from other places tend to work less efficiently as they are not familiar with the city’s layout and other things, he added.

Admin staff at FreshHippo’s Beijing office have also been instructed to help out with parcel sorting, packing and other manual tasks, the Hangzhou-based firm said. Those working in brick-and-mortar stores have been roped in to deliver goods and manpower is being shifted between outlets to balance resources.

Meituan is hiring new couriers and optimizing its allocation of manpower to hike its delivery capacity, it said.

E-commerce platforms should increase their inventories by three to five times the usual amount to meet residents' online consumption needs, the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau said recently. The platforms should also ensure normal operations of warehouses and other stock storage sites. They should reopen any outlets that have been shut due to Covid-19 cases within 24 hours, and ensure takeout deliveries through various channels.

Editor: Kim Taylor