China’s paid ‘stand-in’ services turn everyday chores into a growing market
A widening market of Chinese peer-to-peer services allows customers to outsource tasks ranging from cooking and hospital visits to assembling toys and standing in queues. Economists describe the trend as an extension of the country’s ‘lazy economy’, although concerns remain over fraud, privacy and accountability.
A growing number of Chinese consumers are paying other people to handle everyday responsibilities, from cooking for elderly parents and attending hospital visits to collecting parcels and standing in restaurant queues. The trend, often called the “stand-in economy”, has expanded into a market for personalised errands and assistance. It appeals to people who lack the time, patience or expertise to complete tasks themselves, according to the supplied source material.
On RedNote, posts offering handicraft and assembly help have attracted more than 120 million views. Lego customers, for example, can hire builders to assemble sets at home or send the sets to them. Prices generally range from 200 yuan (US$30) to 1,000 yuan, depending on complexity and labour.
Some services are more unusual. A man surnamed Kong in Guangzhou advertises paid arguments, charging 50 yuan for online disputes and 188 yuan for unlimited in-person sessions. He says he relies on persuasion and rejects requests involving threats, debt collection or physical violence.
Other providers take on routine domestic tasks. A woman surnamed Mihan in Hangzhou began charging neighbours three yuan to take out rubbish or 99 yuan for a monthly package. She later added parcel collection and holiday cat-feeding.
Customers can also pay 10 to 30 yuan for someone to queue at popular restaurants. The market increasingly includes companionship and care. One Shenzhen user reportedly pays 2,500 yuan a month for daily home-cooked meals.
A provider in the city charges 300 yuan for two-hour visits to elderly people, including conversation and cooking. Another woman accepted 50 yuan to visit a hospital patient with gifts and greetings on behalf of a client. Li Na, an associate professor at Jimei University’s School of Finance and Economics, told media that such services could improve efficiency and wellbeing while creating employment.
But the largely informal transactions also raise concerns about fraud, privacy breaches and limited ways to seek redress when arrangements fail.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.