Shopping malls in China have started offering “boyfriend-sharing” services. This is one of the more eye-catching examples of the country’s all-encompassing shared economy.
The launch of one such service at a mall in the northern province of Hebei on Thursday was reported by Chinanews.com, which published pictures of young men dressed in smart jackets and bow ties standing inside display frames.
A sign said that it would only cost one yuan (RM0.60 or 60 sen) to hire them for 30 minutes. Another sign showed a QR code that customers could scan to pay for the service.
“Shared boyfriends offer services such as holding bags, taking photos, chatting and shopping,” the mall told its customers.
A shared boyfriend working at a mall in Haikou city, on southern Hainan island, told Chinanews that his customers – usually women in their 20s – sometimes ask for his advice when they have difficulty in choosing what clothes to buy and also want to take selfies together to post on social media.
PNN