Frozen food sells like hot cakes online now

Beijing resident Xu Na likes buying frozen seafood from authorized online shops of famous brands.

"I'd never thought that I can be a good cook. But now I can provide a huge meal with seafood for my family and friends from time to time," Xu said joyfully. "It (frozen seafood) is very convenient. The quality is the same as that sold at supermarkets."

There are other benefits too. She receives the goods in good time, usually a day after placing the online order.

Thanks to the booming e-commerce as well as the rapid development of courier firms specializing in delivery of goods of e-commerce players and cold-chain logistics, online sales of seafood are soaring in China.

On Tmall, Alibaba's online marketplace, the authorized store of Zoneco Group Co Ltd sells about 50,000 bags of 200-gram scallop with garlic powder and vermicelli every month.

"During last year's 'Double Eleven' (Nov 11 or 11-11) online shopping festival, we sold 100,000 bags of scallop," said Wu Hougang, president of Zoneco.

The company not only produces seafood at its own sea farms but imports good-quality seafood from around the world.

Its products are sold to almost all the Chinese provinces and more than 20 countries and regions.

In 2014, the company tested the online option to increase sales.

"Online transaction accounts for a small proportion of our total sales. But it's growing fast. The online sales volume in 2016 doubled from that of the previous year," said Wu.

He said Zoneco is cooperating with big online shops such as Tmall, JD, as well as courier firm Shunfeng Express to provide better online service to its customers.

In addition to the semi-finished products, raw seafood is also popular among online customers.

Freshness is key to sales of such products. Thus, reliable and efficient cold-chain logistics are crucial for the development of the fresh food industry, observers said.

Shunfeng Express, one of China's largest courier companies, is investing on equipment, technology and distribution logistics to ensure freshness of meat and seafood at the time of delivery to consumers.

According to Shunfeng's website, the company had 58 refrigerated food warehouses in 53 cities by November 2016. The 36 self-owned cargo planes complement its transportation resources.

"More Chinese people are paying attention to the quality of living. They're willing to pay more for high-quality products," said Wu Yigang, deputy general manager of Dalian Port Yidu Cold Chain Co Ltd.