Archive · 4 Sep 2026
Chinese Entrepreneur Builds Profitable Itch-Scratching Business in Shenzhen
Zhang Xiaoqiao started a business that scratches people’s itches for money.
His stores are in Shenzhen, China.
Customers lie on beds while employees gently scratch different parts of their bodies.
A one-hour session costs 300 yuan.
Zhang says the service can help people relax and sleep better.
He got the idea after seeing a social-media video about back-scratching.
He also remembered his father scratching his back when he was young.
The two stores reportedly make about 100,000 yuan each month.
Zhang wants to open 100 stores and make itch-scratching a recognised job.
Zhang Xiaoqiao launched Suma itch-scratching stores in Shenzhen, China.
Customers pay 300 yuan, about US$40 or Rs 4,200, for one hour.
Employees use specially designed pointed nails while customers lie on beds.
Zhang says the service helps customers relax, reduce stress and sleep better.
The two outlets reportedly earn 100,000 yuan, about Rs 14 lakh, monthly, and Zhang plans 100 stores.
- Who
- Zhang Xiaoqiao, a 32-year-old entrepreneur from Hubei province, along with employees and customers at his Suma stores.
- What
- A paid itch-scratching service in which employees use specially designed pointed nails to scratch customers.
- When
- The first store opened in early May, and the second opened one month later; the articles do not specify the year. Zhang said the idea came from a social-media video viewed last year.
- Where
- Shenzhen’s Baoan and Futian districts in southern China.
- Why
- Zhang says the service meets demand for stress relief and better sleep among people in big cities.
- Business name
- Suma
- Locations
- Baoan and Futian districts, Shenzhen, China
- Session price
- 300 yuan, approximately US$40 or Rs 4,200, per hour
- Reported monthly revenue
- 100,000 yuan, approximately Rs 14 lakh, from both stores combined
- Customer breakdown
- Approximately 70 percent men and 30 percent women
- Expansion plan
- Zhang hopes to open 100 outlets across China
- Business development
- Zhang researched body areas and developed techniques that employees could learn and deliver consistently
