The rise of solo living

An increasing number of Chinese are residing alone today, and businesses have been cashing in on this new lifestyle trend

Greek philosopher Aristotle once said man is by nature a social animal. Indeed, it has been proven that human beings have since ancient times thrived on group interaction.

But in this modern age, a growing number of Chinese seem to be bucking this trend.

According to an HSBC survey in April, nearly 70 percent of adults aged 18 to 36 in China live alone. The findings are similar to those in a separate study by China National Radio last year, in which the broadcaster found that there were more than 58 million one-person households in the country. In Shanghai, one in four homes have just one resident.

"The decision to live alone is common in diverse cultures whenever it is economically feasible," US sociologist Eric Klinenberg wrote in an article. "The mere thought of living alone once sparked anxiety, dread and visions of loneliness. But those images are dated. Now the most privileged people on earth use their resources to separate from one another, to buy privacy and personal space."

Companies have in turn been benefiting from this group of people who are embracing such a lifestyle.

According to Liu Bo, general manager for marketing at Tmall, an online shopping platform by e-commerce giant Alibaba, the rise in one-person households has resulted in a spike in sales for certain appliances, such as compact washing machines. Sales for these washing machines, he revealed, hit 1 billion yuan ($147.7 million) in the 12 months ended on May 31. The sales of mini juice extractors also jumped 1.6 times within the same period.

Ding Yongjun, general manager of e-commerce section of German kitchen appliance maker WMF, echoed this sentiment, saying that the company's sales of compact products have enjoyed the fastest growth among other categories.

Filling one's stomach

In today's society where people often work long hours, cooking for oneself has become an impractical task, especially given the convenience of other options. One of these options is single-serve food and beverage options which have gained momentum in recent years.

As of May, sales of single-portion food products, such as microwave-friendly lunchboxes, more than doubled compared to last year on Tmall, said Dong Benhong, chief marketing officer of Alibaba Group.

At Hema Shengxian, an emerging online-to-offline supermarket by Alibaba, sales for one-portion food products have also been "notably brisk", said its general manager Zhang Guohong.

Zhang added that the store designed its products to be sold in small packages because many people today dine alone and are unlikely to cook regularly.

For those who are looking to pamper themselves with a lavish dinner, the supermarket offers live seafood including king crabs and lobsters that customers can handpick before having them cooked on-site.

While eating has traditionally been a communal activity in China that is defined by tables filled with a variety of different dishes, Zhang pointed out that this no longer seems to be the case, seeing how many of the customers who utilize this service dine alone in the supermarket.

Hema Shengxian also makes it convenient for those who do not wish to leave the confines of their homes. Customers who live within a 3-kilometer radius of the supermarket can have food delivered to their doorsteps within 30 minutes.

The live streaming craze

In this digital age where people are heavily reliant on their smart devices, many of those who live alone have turned to the virtual realm to seek companionship from live streaming personalities.

Liu Qiangqiang, a 21-year-old from Shandong province who currently lives alone in a dorm, said that watching live streaming programs is the highlight of his day.

"It's just so relaxing and it helps to lift my burdens," he said. "Everybody wears a 'mask' when they are at work. When watching these shows at night, you know that people on the screens are those who can share your feelings, whether it's happiness or sheer boredom."

Viewers do not need to pay to watch live shows though they can choose to reward performers by giving them virtual gifts such as flowers, designer bags and even yachts that need to be bought with real money. These gifts are later converted to cash for the performers, with the live streaming platforms taking a cut.

In China, a large portion of live streamers are ordinary folks who take to the digital realm to tell their stories and showcase their singing or dancing skills. The industry has experience rapid growth in recent years, with Huachuang Securities projecting it to be worth $15.9 billion by 2020.

China's leading live streaming sites, such as YY and Huajiao, have dominated a lion's share of the burgeoning market, according to Beijing-based Analysys. The research firm forecast that the value of China's internet celebrity market would surpass 100 billion yuan in 2018, almost doubling that of last year.

Amber Liu, chief executive officer of Amber Communications, pointed to a string of social and psychological factors behind the heated industry. She said the vast number of migrant workers who are living far away from their hometowns are searching for a "true connection" in the virtual world. She likened this phenomenon to a new form of human touch.

An audio companion

Online podcasts are the latest to emerge as a form of companionship for those who are more educated. A slew of new tech startups have emerged in the past few years, offering access to quality online content related to topics such as business, career development, language learning skills and self-improvement.

Users can either sign up for a monthly plan or pay a premium to have individual consultations with specific subject matter experts.

Since half a year ago, listening to the Luoji Siwei (Logical Thinking) podcast while driving to work has become a routine for 33-year-old Wang Xiuqin, a university administration clerk in Shanghai who lives in a one-bedroom apartment.

"Work is overloaded with trivial matters," she said. "But with knowledgeable celebrities teaching you about the latest economic trends and sharing their insights into a variety of other matters, you won't be bogged down by banal daily routines."

Ximalaya FM is one company that offers such services. According to Yu Jianjun, the company's co-CEO, Chinese consumers today have become more accepting of paying for high-quality content.

"Consumers are maturing and evolving from aimlessly accepting whatever is being displayed online to consciously choosing content curators that can deliver high-quality content," he said.

Ximalaya, like many of its peers, first gained popularity among internet users through audio books and user-generated content. In light of increased competition and the soaring demand for quality, the company has channelled more resources toward content generated by industry experts.

Boasting a database of 60 million audio feeds produced by over 200,000 verified hosts, most of whom are experts in their respective fields such as banking, insurance, literature and human resources, the platform today has 370 million subscribers.

The company's latest endeavor is to transform this sheer amount of data into hardware: an AI-powered smart loudspeaker that can be instructed by voice to play podcasts or songs.

"We want people to feel that they always have someone for company, even if they are physically alone. And it's not a shame to be alone, not anymore," Yu said.

hewei@chinadaily.com.cn