Online 'stalls' create jobs, boosts economy

More than 220,000 people have opened online “stalls” through Shanghai-based startup Aikucun in the past three months, creating jobs and boosting income for people amid the epidemic, according to the company.

Aikucun offers discounted products from over 10,000 brands to more than 1.5 million small online vendors. These vendors can earn money through selling the products on social media, while brands provide warehousing, logistics and after-sales services.

The company’s unique business model allows people to work at home and offers temporary jobs and income to real estate agents, driving instructors, restaurant workers and others who were forced to stay at home during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Shanghai needs to develop a “gig economy” as people with multiple skills and part-time jobs can boost the micro-economy and innovation, said Wang Yi, a researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

The gig economy is loosely defined as a free market system where businesses contract with independent workers to fill short-term, temporary positions.

About 90 percent of Aikucun’s shop owners are women, mainly aged between 25 and 45, including many full-time mothers. They can market and sell products like women’s clothing and maternity products and gain income through the platform, Aikucun said.

Over 40 percent of users also want to develop Aikucun business as full-time jobs in the future, according to the company’s latest survey.