File photo: sohu.com

National online retail sales reached 344.11 billion yuan ($53.28 billion) over 10 days since the opening of the "2021 National New Year's Online Shopping Festival" on January 20, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

Partly fueled by people protecting themselves from the COVID-19 epidemic, national online food and beverage transactions increased by 49.6 percent year-on-year, takeaway food 60.7 percent, semi-packaged meals 375 percent and new year specialties 122.2 percent.

Online platforms have provided consumers who have to stay-in-place over the holidays instead of traveling to their hometowns with plenty of local travel options, with large subsidies or direct reductions.

To stem the spread of COVID-19, Chinese authorities encouraged migrant workers and residents to stay where they are for the annual Spring Festival holiday, which falls on February 11 this year.

Chinese authorities pledged to guarantee sufficient supplies of daily necessities and asked e-commerce platforms and logistics companies to ensure normal operation during the period.

(Compiled by Xiong Xinyi)