Erwin works in Brotecke Bakery in Shaxi Ancient Town, Taicang, Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: taicangdaily]

"The outbreak has shown me the magic of China's internet economy," said German baker Erwin, who first assumed there would be few businesses operating during the outbreak, "Sometimes I have to deliver over 50 internet orders in one day.

In 2015, Erwin introduced traditional German bread to Taicang, and the brand Brotecke was soon embraced by locals and on social media.

"Business is good and we never take a vacation during Spring Festival, even with the ongoing epidemic," he said. On Taobao (the biggest e-commerce platform in China), Erwin announced that his bakery will maintain normal operations and there will be no increases in price or decreases in quality.

To help fight the epidemic, Erwin is covering postage fees to remote areas as well as Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. When he saw a client buying bread for medical workers in a Wuhan hospital, he decided to donate it in the company's name.

"I am doing well in Taicang," Erwin told his friends in Germany, "The government is doing all it can to contain the epidemic and victory is close at hand."