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Live Shows are back, and so are street stalls
With the revival of live music gigs in China this year, stalls outside of concert venues have become increasingly popular again across the country.
Vendors offer goods from essentials like water and raincoats to fan merchandise such as bracelets（手镯）and tattoo stickers. They aim to attract the large groups of fans going to the concerts.
The China Association of Performing Arts （CAPA，中国演出行业协会）reported that in the first half of 2023， the country hosted over 190,000 performances. The number in-creased by 400.86% with the previous year. These performances have attracted over 60 million music enthusiasts. Another report that China's performance market would reach 90.3 billion yuan by the end of this year.
"Where there are business opportunities, there is potential for stalls," said Hu Xiaowu, an expert on urban science. "As more concerts are organized in different cities, many young people have found the chance to sell goods related to the events."
Zeng Dexiong, a professor of social sciences, believed more people would take of this new wave. This, he said, would probably bring about fierce competition, which in turn would lead to more creativity and .
Sun Ximin,25, set up a stall as a side hustle when a large venue near her home in Guangzhou hosted its first concert in April. There weren't many stalls back then, and she sold simple hair accessories（配饰）.When more vendors gathered outside, Sun had to offer more services, like braiding（编发），to stand out. To attract more customers，she styled her own hair in complex braids., she offered free Polaroid photos.
For Li Zhenzhen, a 23-year-old citizen of Xi'an in Shaanxi province, success lies in seeking the best location. She found it was more beneficial to locate her stall near a subway station rather than the concert venue's entrance. She explained that concertgoers are likely to buy the goods on impulse（一时冲动）as they get out of the station. However, as they walk past stalls on the way to the entrance, their desire to purchase wanes.
The rapid development of the street stall economy offers young people flexible opportunities to earn money, Hu noted.
Recognizing this, local governments are now easing to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit. Cities like Beijing and Shenzhen have alreadypolicies to support stall operations, setting aside specific areas for vendors.
