Summary of Key Points
Shenzhen's bean sorting businesses once became a popular choice for young entrepreneurs, labeled as a way to "heal stress" and engage in "light entrepreneurship," but in reality, they faced numerous challenges: exhausting physical labor far beyond that of regular jobs, meager profits or even losses, fierce price competition driving prices down to rock-bottom levels, and a low technical barrier that turned customers into competitors. Many owners ended up in the red, with a surge of business closures being reported on second-hand platforms, especially during the summer vacation season.
1. "Retirement-style Entrepreneurship" Turns into a Physical Hell: More Exhausting and Less Profitable
Many people quit their jobs to open bean sorting businesses, attracted by the idyllic image of "one person, one store, peaceful times" on social media, thinking it was a leisurely way to start a business in their retirement. However, the reality is a grueling task:
- Sorting Beans Like Picking Sesame: Sorting 221 different colors of beans after they arrive requires meticulous work until late at night, leaving eyesight blurry from staring at screens.
- Scalding Beans with Precision: A slight mistake in temperature or pressure can ruin hours of work, resulting in free orders or the need to sort the beans again, leaving no time even for drinking water.
- Lower Profits than Working Regularly: A two-person all-day package costs 53.9 yuan, and after deducting platform fees and rent, the profit is only half of what they used to earn at their jobs. Some owners barely make enough to cover expenses, such as electricity bills.
Lin Xiao, who once earned a monthly salary of 15,000 yuan, is now content if she can break even, unable to afford takeout and even having to pay for her own medical insurance. Her "boss dream" has turned into a new workplace with no end to working hours.
2. Price War Drives Prices to Rock Bottom: 19.9 Yuan for All-Day Access
Bean sorting businesses in Shenzhen have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, with seven or eight stores opening in one office building. As customer traffic decreased, price competition became the only tool:
- Price Drops from 60 Yuan to 19.9 Yuan: Initially, the average order price was over 60 yuan, but now some stores offer all-day access for just 19.9 yuan, with some even setting prices as low as 19.9 yuan—low enough that you can't even buy a decent cup of milk tea with that amount.
- Cutting Costs at the Customer's Expense: To maintain profits, some stores use inferior beans (which release harmful gases when heated) or refrain from using air conditioning in summer, sacrificing customer experience.
- Platform Fees Add to the Strain: Failing to pay the annual platform fee means the store disappears from the platform, and for those that do, the additional cost becomes a burden. Many newcomers without marketing skills can only wait for closure in anxiety.
3. Low Barriers to Entry: Customers Become Competitors
The bean sorting industry has almost no technical barriers—customers can understand the process after just one experience, and the cost of three experiences is enough to buy a set of home equipment (an iron for 20 yuan plus a full set of beans for 200 yuan), allowing them to enjoy the activity at home without limits. This leads to:
- Low Repurchase Rate: Customers learn the process and buy their own equipment, no longer returning to the stores.
- New Competitors Emerge: Some former customers set up stalls in residential areas or offer bean sorting services on platforms like Xianyu (earning 5,000 yuan a month), directly competing with physical stores.
- Second-Hand Sales Become the Norm: Closing stores sell their equipment at discounted prices, and the new owners are often other professionals with similar dreams, creating a vicious cycle.
4. A Wave of Closures Looms? Owners Seek New Approaches
Second-hand platforms are filled with daily listings for bean sorting businesses to be sold. Zhang Ling predicts that many stores that rely on student traffic will close during the summer vacation season. Some owners are trying to adapt:
- Switching to Higher-Value Services: For example, Chen Ting in Futian no longer participates in price wars and focuses on custom products (such as IP-related items) or corporate events.
- Differentiating Through Quality: They try to attract customers with better quality beans and professional services.
However, for most newcomers, the ideal of "light entrepreneurship" is shattered by the harsh realities of bills, physical exhaustion, and financial pressures. This seemingly soothing business turns out to be a triple challenge involving physical strength, money, and mental stress.
(The translation maintains the original Markdown structure, using natural language that fits financial journalism, adapting expressions to the target audience's cultural context, and ensuring the accuracy and consistency of financial terms.)