A 32-year-old entrepreneur from China has transformed a common problem into a unique and successful business concept. People can now seek professional help to relieve itching on their backs or other parts of their bodies. Zhang Xiaoqiao, a resident of Hubei province, launched this unique service in the city of Shenzhen under the brand name ‘Suma’.
According to the South China Morning Post, the setting for this treatment resembles a luxurious massage parlor. Customers lie down comfortably while trained staff provide relief to their bodies. To achieve this, the trained staff use specially designed, delicate instruments to gently scratch various parts of the body. This unique service costs approximately ₹4,200 per hour. It is not limited merely to relieving an itch; rather, it is promoted as a way to relax, reduce stress, and improve sleep.
Customers can inform the staff which specific parts of their body are itching the most, allowing the staff to focus their attention on those areas. At times, the sensation makes customers feel ticklish, often causing them to laugh. Zhang notes that people in big cities frequently experience high levels of stress, which is why the demand for this service is rising rapidly. Zhang opened his first outlet in Shenzhen’s Bao’an District in May, and encouraged by its success, opened a second branch in Futian District just a month later. Reports indicate that the two stores generate a combined monthly revenue of approximately 1.4 million and have already reached the break-even point.
Zhang further noted that they serve both male and female customers, with men accounting for about 70 percent of the clientele. Some customers find this service more relaxing than traditional massages, which has helped build a strong base of regular, returning customers.
This unique concept was born from a fascinating blend of social media and childhood memories. Last year, Zhang saw a short video online showing a woman scratching her husband’s back. The comments on the video caught her attention; many people wrote that they would happily pay someone to relieve their itch.
This incident reminded Zhang of her childhood, when her father used to affectionately scratch her back to help her fall asleep. She wondered if this simple, soothing act could be transformed into a professional service. Since there were no established examples of a professional back-scratching business in China, Zhang had to design the service herself. He experimented with various methods to make the experience as comfortable as possible for customers.
This startup is vastly different from Zhang’s previous career path; after graduating, he held seven different jobs within a single year. Before entering the social media industry, he had launched two cross-border e-commerce companies, although they did not achieve the success he had hoped for.
Now, his unique concept is gaining remarkable popularity among the public. The business has sparked online curiosity, with people playfully debating whether “professional scratching” can truly become a recognized profession. Zhang is fully convinced that it can. He hopes to open 100 ‘Suma’ outlets across China in the future and transform this unique activity into a widely recognized service profession.
