32-year-old Zhang Xiaochao came up with the idea of turning scratching into a commercial service after watching a short online video of a wife scratching her husband’s back and reading comments from people saying they would pay someone to scratch them like that. As a kid, he loved falling asleep as his father gently scratched his back, so he decided to turn scratching into a business.
When he opened his first scratching salon in the Bao’an district of Shenzhen, China, Zhang wasn’t in the best of places. After graduating from a little-known university, he changed jobs seven times in a year before starting two businesses that failed in a short period of time. Still, he wasn’t afraid to take a chance on a unique scratching salon. His big bet paid off!
Shortly after opening his first scratching salon, he opened a second one, both of which now generate around 100,000 yuan ($15,000) per month. He only started the unique business in May, but Zhang claims it is already profitable and he now plans to expand nationwide with 100 new locations. He also wants to turn scratching into a recognized career choice.
“People in big cities generally have high stress levels, and demand for this kind of service is strong,” Zhang told Sinchew Daily. “Some customers tell us our service is more relaxing than a massage, and we already have many regulars.”
The service offered by Zhang Xiaochao’s scratching salon is very straightforward – customers lie on their backs as staff wearing pointy plastic fingernails scratch their bodies. Zhang claims that he had to research scratching techniques and even invent some from scratch because there was simply no similar service to take inspiration from.
Zhang charges 300 yuan ($41) per hour of scratching, adding that his unique service is aimed at people looking to relieve stress and improve the quality of their sleep.
