The current Guanyuan Market is a famous flower, bird, fish, and insect market in Beijing. Over a decade ago, the old Guanyuan Market relocated to its current location near Zizhuyuan Bridge, becoming the new Guanyuan Market. In the new Guanyuan, the traditional flower, bird, fish, and insect market has undergone some changes. In addition to the traditional ornamental fish, insects, calligraphy and paintings, and bracelets, there has been a significant increase in small pets and reptiles, which are increasingly popular among young people. The shopkeepers have also changed, from middle-aged and elderly people in their fifties and sixties to young people in their twenties and thirties. These young people, drawn by their hobby, have carved out a new niche for themselves in the new Guanyuan, making pet ownership and sales their new career choice.
The 35-year-old shop owner, who has been in the small pet and reptile pet industry for 13 years, operates 3 shops.
The Xinguanyuan Flower, Bird, Fish and Insect Market is divided into two floors, with four aisles on each floor, and small shops lined both sides of the aisles. In addition to the well-known tropical ornamental fish, crickets, and antique collectibles, there are also dozens of small pet and reptile shops.
"This is a blizzard, this is a highway, this is a bull snake. It mainly depends on what kind of snake you like and what color you like..." 27-year-old Yu Jilin introduced the different kinds of snakes in the store to the customers. Some were pink corn snakes with white round spots, some were white king snakes with two black straight lines on their backs, and some were pig-nosed snakes that were "sound asleep".
Not long ago, Yu Jilin was a graphic designer, but he resigned due to excessive work pressure. In July of this year, he came to work at a reptile shop. "The reptile market is doing well now, and it's very popular among young people. I happen to be very interested in this myself, so I came to the shop."
When asked why he was able to do this job, Yu Jilin turned slightly to the side, placed his hand on his waist, and gestured, saying, "I've been keeping spiders since I was this age." His first spider was an orange baboon. "It was so cool!" Later, Yu Jilin kept other spider species such as red rose and Honduran curly-haired spiders, and his home had a three-tiered shelf filled with small boxes for keeping spiders.
His first orange Babu had been with him for over ten years and has now passed away. "I think this is where the selflessness of humans lies. Even knowing that we won't develop any emotional bond with our reptiles, we are still willing to invest energy and effort in taking care of them when faced with vulnerable animals."
"The greatest charm of reptiles lies in their diversity. Whether they swim in the water or run on the ground, arthropods, frogs, snakes… whether you prefer cute or fierce styles, you can find something you like in almost anything you can imagine and observe in the animal kingdom. And liking something is a feeling; some likings are hard to explain." Chen Yao, 35, has been in the small pet and reptile hobby for 13 years and now runs three small pet and reptile shops in Xinguanyuan. He's a seasoned enthusiast. He recalls that he initially got into the hobby because a friend gave him a bearded dragon; his first impression was, "It's so cool!"
“Bearing dragons are among the most docile reptiles and the most suitable pets for beginners.” As he spoke, Chen Yao took an orange bearded dragon from a glass box and placed it on his shoulder. “It will lie still on your shoulder and stay with you. It interacts with people and is quite well-behaved.”
With his experience raising bearded dragons, Chen Yao began to breed leopard geckos, spiders, and lizards, selling them to friends and family. Later, as his collection of reptiles grew, he opened a shop in the pet market. He added enclosures, created landscaping, purchased heating equipment, and introduced new species… gradually filling the once empty shop, and the variety of reptiles he kept increased.
Today, Chen Yao's shop offers five types of reptiles: lizards, snakes, frogs, mantises, and spiders, each category further divided into 3-10 subcategories. Speaking of the reptile pet community, Chen Yao remarked, "Chefs don't necessarily enjoy cooking, but people who keep pets definitely do so because they love pets. Almost all businesses started as enthusiasts and gradually transitioned into breeders."
Other young people working at Xinguanyuan corroborated Chen Yao's statement. Almost all of them chose to work at the reptile shop because of their love for reptiles. Many had raised various pets since childhood and had extensive experience in animal husbandry. Although they studied different majors and worked different types of jobs after growing up, they all ended up in this industry by chance.
In Xinguanyuan, many pet and reptile shops employ young people aged 20 to 30. Their typical working hours are similar to those of ordinary office workers, arriving at the shop from 9 am to 6 pm every day. Their main responsibilities include cleaning, feeding pets, and greeting customers.
Leopard gecko
New methods of sales
"Playing" and "touching" help customers build a connection with their pets.
The young staff at Xin Guan Yuan have their own unique sales methods. "Playing" and "touching" help them quickly connect with customers and also bring people and pets closer. Inside a small pet store, a young staff member is playing with a sugar glider perched on her shoulder. With its pointed ears, round, protruding eyes, long tail, and pure white fur, the sugar glider crawls slowly along her neck and collar.
She then took it off her shoulder, held it in her palm, and let it hug her thumb with its two little paws. She rhythmically stroked the sugar glider's head with her index finger, and then slowly handed the sugar glider to the guest. The guest tried to hold its body with one hand and use the other hand to take a video to show his friends.
"Chirp, chirp..." The sugar glider made a shrill sound, surprising the customer. The shop assistant explained, "It's not used to you yet, it'll get used to it." As she spoke, she put the sugar glider back in her hands, playing with it alternately, and the sugar glider quieted down.
“Buying a small pet is mainly about chemistry. I let customers put the sugar glider on their shoulder or in their hand to let them feel it, play with it, and see if they get along.” 19-year-old Li Ran works part-time at a small pet shop during the summer break, selling about 10 sugar gliders a week. Whenever a customer comes in, Li Ran first asks about their preferred type and color, then helps them choose a suitable breed, introducing the pet's origin and habits. Her customers are mostly young, between 20 and 40 years old.
The "playing with" sales method is not only applicable to small pet stores, but also a "break the ice" approach for reptile stores. In another reptile store not far away, a young employee was "playing with" a small pink snake. The employee took the snake out of a plastic box, gently held it between his fingers, and let its slender body meander forward. His hands moved slowly, alternating between them, and the snake swam gracefully in his palms and in the air.
The young visitor tentatively reached out, but immediately withdrew his hand as soon as his fingers touched the snake's body. However, he couldn't help but reach out again, stroking the snake's back. The smooth touch brought him a unique feeling.
Chen Yao, the owner of a reptile pet shop, told a reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily that in the early days of opening the shop, an average of 10 customers a day would be frightened by the lizards, snakes, and other animals in the shop, and would scream involuntarily. Now, thanks to the efforts of young staff who handle the reptiles while explaining them to customers, people's acceptance of reptiles is constantly improving. "The frequency of customers screaming has also decreased significantly. We might not encounter a screaming customer for 10 days," Chen Yao said.
Chen Yao stated that most people's first reaction upon seeing snakes is fear, worrying that they are venomous, will bite, etc., which is a major challenge for reptile sales. However, if store staff can guide customers to touch the animals after they arrive, this psychological barrier can be alleviated to some extent, thus increasing public acceptance of reptiles.
