Chinese entrepreneur builds a lucrative back-scratching service in Shenzhen
A 32-year-old founder opened a specialty back-scratching shop in Shenzhen that charges 300 yuan per hour and has generated close to 10 000 yuan in monthly revenue across two locations.
Entrepreneur 장샤오차오, 32, started a back-scratching service called “수마 (suma)” in Shenzhen’s Bao'an district in May, offering a unique stress-relief experience. The concept involves clients lying on a bed while staff, wearing custom-crafted pointed nails, gently scratch their backs for a fee of 300 yuan per hour. Within a month the venture expanded to a second location in Futian, and together the two shops now generate roughly 10 000 yuan in monthly sales.
About 70 % of the clientele are male, and many customers say the service feels more comfortable than a traditional massage, leading to a steady base of repeat business. The founder, who previously attempted e-commerce and media projects, was inspired by a social-media video of a woman offering to scratch her husband’s back, recalling his own childhood memories of his father doing the same. He aims to open 100 stores nationwide and to legitimize back-scratching as a recognized profession.
