Although the Chinese economy is stagnating, China is a consumer powerhouse with 1.4 billion people. This story begins a while ago. Unused Japanese pianos were being exported to China in large quantities. This was a time when the used piano market was flourishing in response to the demands of the Chinese middle class. In China, the number of children learning English and piano in addition to school studies was rapidly increasing. In a fiercely competitive society, people focused on education and improving their skills with added value specifications. In particular, interest in pianos seemed to be growing. In Europe and the United States, even the middle class enjoyed a slightly higher status if they owned a home that they could place a piano. There were about 5 million dormant pianos in Japan that no one played. Those pianos were sent to China.
It is said that the generation that will support the Chinese economy in the future is the Z generation. This generation of Chinese people accounts for about 20% of the country’s population and will be the ones to carry out consumption and child-rearing in the future. The Z generation is a group of young people who grew up in an era of rapid economic growth and improved living standards. There is a trend of polarization in the consumption behavior of this Generation Z. This is a polarization between products with high added value and products that are mainly focused on cost. On social media, the term “rebellious consumption,” which means an emphasis on quality and cost performance, is popular. In this way, more and more young people are making decisions based on their own position, rather than choosing whether a product is good if it is made overseas or domestically made.
There are people in China who enjoy playing the piano as a hobby. They have a desire to play a piano that is in good condition. Specialists who can transport delicate pianos in better condition are needed. If you leave it to a simple delivery company, the piano’s functions may be damaged. Tuning the piano after moving is also essential. If that is the case, tuning at least once every 1 to 2 years is also essential. Even when moving a piano, there is a need for specialists to transport it and people involved in maintenance and inspection to maintain the piano’s functions. There seems to be a shortage of human resources to support these in China. If you have a list of piano buyers, you can start a business. If you can train people for tuning and other roles and send them to the Chinese market, it can become a niche industry. We would like to improve product design, including piano sales, tuning, and transportation, and revive China’s piano market.
