Gen Z drives demand for rental business

For Cheng Shuo, 27, an accountant, the most pleasurable thing in life is attending live music performances.

- By YU RAN

rental are displayed at a shopping mall in Chongqing.

(LIU XIN / CHINA NEWS SERVICE)

Almost every month, Cheng, of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, travels to various cities for concerts, music festivals and fan events.Before each show she often rents a video camera to record her trip. Online rental platforms offer easy credit-based services, with professional cameras costing between 200 yuan ($28) and 400 yuan a day to rent.

“These things cost tens of thousands of yuan, but renting one for a couple of days costs no more than 800 yuan,” Cheng said. “The process is simple: order online, verify your identity, and the camera arrives the next day.”

She also rents clothing and accessories to match concert themes. "I sometimes rent an outfit in a particular shade, or jewellery that matches the light sticks and banners.”

In recent years she has also started renting items for short trips with friends. For instance, she has rented a compact camera for a weekend getaway and a drone to capture images of landscapes.

“It only takes a few minutes to book what I need, then it’s delivered to my door, ready to use. Later I just pack it up and send it back.”