Credit card spending on food delivery services rose to about NT$1.2 billion (US$40.6 million) in April, the highest ever in a single month, as more consumers turned to delivery services amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) statistic showed.
It marked a growth of 140 percent from about NT$500 million in September last year, the commission told a news conference in New Taipei City on Thursday.
The number of transactions through food delivery service apps jumped to 6.1 million in April, about three times higher than in September last year, the commission said.
However, average spending per transaction fell 19 percent from NT$244 in September last year to NT$197 in April, which could likely be attributed to more small restaurants joining the food delivery platforms, it said.
As more consumers preferred delivery services than dining out due to pandemic fears, it was not surprising to see the increase, it said, adding that people who were quarantined or self-isolating for 14 days during the outbreak could often only order meals through the platforms.
Even though some platforms allow customers to pay cash, most users preferred to pay via credit card, as it was more convenient and hygienic, it said.
Overall, online food order and delivery services are more popular among younger people, with users aged under 45 making up 90 percent of the total, the commission said.
Users aged between 25 and 35 accounted for 50 percent of the total, followed by those aged 35 to 45, it added.
The food delivery platforms included in the statistics are Uber Eats Taiwan, Foodpanda, Foodomo and locally developed YoWoo Delivery (有無外送).
SEMICONDUCTORS: The firm has already completed one fab, which is to begin mass producing 2-nanomater chips next year, while two others are under construction Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, plans to begin construction of its fourth and fifth wafer fabs in Kaohsiung next year, targeting the development of high-end processes. The two facilities — P4 and P5 — are part of TSMC’s production expansion program, which aims to build five fabs in Kaohsiung. TSMC facility division vice president Arthur Chuang (莊子壽) on Thursday said that the five facilities are expected to create 8,000 jobs. To respond to the fast-changing global semiconductor industry and escalating international competition, TSMC said it has to keep growing by expanding its production footprints. The P4 and P5
DOWNFALL: The Singapore-based oil magnate Lim Oon Kuin was accused of hiding US$800 million in losses and leaving 20 banks with substantial liabilities Former tycoon Lim Oon Kuin (林恩強) has been declared bankrupt in Singapore, following the collapse of his oil trading empire. The name of the founder of Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd (興隆貿易) and his children Lim Huey Ching (林慧清) and Lim Chee Meng (林志朋) were listed as having been issued a bankruptcy order on Dec. 19, the government gazette showed. The younger Lims were directors at the company. Leow Quek Shiong and Seah Roh Lin of BDO Advisory Pte Ltd are the trustees, according to the gazette. At its peak, Hin Leong traded a range of oil products, made lubricants and operated loading
Citigroup Inc and Bank of America Corp said they are leaving a global climate-banking group, becoming the latest Wall Street lenders to exit the coalition in the past month. In a statement, Citigroup said while it remains committed to achieving net zero emissions, it is exiting the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA). Bank of America said separately on Tuesday that it is also leaving NZBA, adding that it would continue to work with clients on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The banks’ departure from NZBA follows Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Wells Fargo & Co. The largest US financial institutions are under increasing pressure
STIMULUS PLANS: An official said that China would increase funding from special treasury bonds and expand another program focused on key strategic sectors China is to sharply increase funding from ultra-long treasury bonds this year to spur business investment and consumer-boosting initiatives, a state planner official told a news conference yesterday, as Beijing cranks up fiscal stimulus to revitalize its faltering economy. Special treasury bonds would be used to fund large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins, said Yuan Da (袁達), deputy secretary-general of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission. “The size of ultra-long special government bond funds will be sharply increased this year to intensify and expand the implementation of the two new initiatives,” Yuan said. Under the program launched last year, consumers can