&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Itchy business takes off in China as people ditch massages to get scratched")
An unusual "back-scratching" business idea has become successful in China, where services include tending to itchy areas on your body. According to SCMP, Zhang Xiaoqiao opened the first "itch-relief shop" in May in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, and 40 days later, started the services at another location. "We’ll give you a satisfying back scratch," the promotional line reads.
People can get any part of their bodies scratched for a fee. The aim is to stimulate the skin to provide relaxation and relief from any itch. The store uses special tools designed like fingernails to gently scratch a customer's body. Customers can choose to get services for specific areas on their bodies. Charges vary depending on the duration and the body areas targeted. A 60-minute upper-body session costs around 200 yuan, and a 30-minute head-and-back scratching session costs around 100 yuan.
Cost of getting professional scratch services
The most popular choice among customers is the 80-minute full-body session, and the cost ranges between 289 and 299 yuan. Zhang says 70 per cent of his clients choose this package. Talking about what attracts people to the services, he says that while it might sound like they are just scratching the itch, there is more to it. The methods used help the customers relax and unwind, with six or seven out of every 10 customers falling asleep. Men working at offices in cities account for 60 to 70 per cent of his clientele.
Months of training and research into how to itch and where to itch
Zhang did not simply get up one day and start the scratch service. Instead, he says he conducted intensive research into the areas of the body where people feel itchy. He says there are five major itch zones and more than 30 detailed areas on a person's body. Zhang spent four months testing the service on acquaintances and his own fans. He learned about the correct pressure, sequence and speed himself. After all the intensive planning and research, Zhang finally started one outlet, then added another. Both of them earn a combined 160,000 yuan each month.
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