Hema now delivering 24 hours a day
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Alibaba’s Hema supermarkets have launched 24-hour delivery services in a move to bolster the brand’s “New Retail” services.
Initially the round-the-clock service is limited to the 25 Hema stores in Beijing and Shanghai. Consumers who live within 3km of a Hema store will be able to shop via the mobile app and order items for delivery between 10pm and 7am, when the bricks-and-mortar store is closed.
Most items in store can be delivered with the exception of some fresh produce. Cooked meals will be available for delivery until 1am.
“We found that New Retail doesn’t only merge online with offline, but also connects day and night,” says Hema chief executive Hou Yi. “There are definitely consumer demands that are specific to night time.”
More than 80 million Taobao and T-mall users visit the sites between midnight and 4am, says Alibaba.
Meanwhile, Alibaba has taken full ownership of the Ele.me online delivery service.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific cities will offer the 24-hour delivery service?
Which specific cities will offer the 24-hour delivery service?
The round-the-clock service is initially limited to the 25 Hema stores located in Beijing and Shanghai. Consumers within a 3km radius of these stores can use the service.
Q.What is the delivery timeframe for orders placed when the physical store is closed?
What is the delivery timeframe for orders placed when the physical store is closed?
Customers can order items for delivery between 10pm and 7am, which is when the bricks-and-mortar stores are typically closed. This covers the overnight period.
Q.Are there any items that cannot be delivered via the new 24-hour service?
Are there any items that cannot be delivered via the new 24-hour service?
Most in-store items are available for delivery, but some fresh produce is excluded. Cooked meals have a slightly shorter delivery window, available until 1am.
Q.What prompted Hema to introduce 24-hour delivery services?
What prompted Hema to introduce 24-hour delivery services?
Hema identified specific consumer demands during night-time hours, noting that many Alibaba users are active online between midnight and 4am. This led to the expansion of their 'New Retail' offerings.