SAMR: Nearly 90% of surveyed consumers order takeout at least twice a month; 'ghost takeout' has become the biggest 'cancer' in online food delivery - IT之家

China’s market regulator said it will tighten oversight of online food delivery by using electronic certificate verification and cracking down on unlicensed “ghost restaurants.”

A survey found nearly 90% of consumers order takeout at least twice a month, and ghost listings were described as the biggest problem in the sector.

The regulator said it handled seven e-commerce platform cases involving ghost restaurants in April, with fines and confiscations totaling 3.597 billion yuan.

Going forward, platforms will be required to verify merchant credentials at the source, improve automated reviews, and face tougher enforcement.