Last year, Xia Ziqing made the decision to open her own nail bar in a shopping mall in Langfang, Hebei Province. Her decision was based on her extensive experience. With over five years in the industry, she noticed the significant growth and expansion of the nail business.

"As the saying goes, 'Hands are our second face'," Xia, the 26-year-old entrepreneur, told Beijing Review. "In recent years, I have noticed a growing number of individuals, particularly women, seeking ways to both protect and enhance the appearance of their hands. Their indulgence in manicure extends beyond a mere pursuit of beauty; it's a form of self-care and a way to relieve stress and promote mental wellbeing."

According to data from Qcc.com, a platform for enterprise credit inquiry, the number of registered nail-related companies in China has shown a consistent increase over the past decade. As of February, the country had 1.31 million nail-related businesses.

According to a recent report from Qcc.com, in 2023, 460,900 new nail beauty-related companies registered in China, a year-on-year growth of 52 percent. The previous years also saw notable growth, with a year-on-year increase of 57.66 percent in 2021 and 14.16 percent in 2022.

The report predicts that the domestic nail industry will continue to experience rapid growth in the next five years, with the market size estimated to achieve a compound annual growth rate of approximately 10 percent during this period, as beauty and fashion are growing priorities among women in China, and their spending power is also on the rise.

Busy business

According to a report on the nail-beauty market released by industrial research portal ChinaIRN.com, in 2021, women aged 22 to 26 in China constituted the largest proportion of nail-beauty consumers, accounting for 45 percent of the total. Most of these individuals are either fashion-forward professionals or from affluent families.

The cost of a manicure typically ranges from around 50 to 600 yuan ($6.92 to 83), depending on the specific materials chosen and the type of manicure. Prices may increase during busy periods such as statutory holidays. "Increased service fees during the holiday were partly due to higher labor costs. The number of customers is several times higher than usual," Xia said.

For example, during early February's eight-day Spring Festival holiday alone, a staggering 16 million posts are made under the hashtag "nail-beauty" on social media platforms like the popular Chinese lifestyle and e-commerce app Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).

"It was impossible to get an appointment during that period. I had to compete for slots a week in advance—at several nail salons. Getting your nails done during the holiday is as difficult as getting concert tickets for popular musicians," consumer Zhang Meng told The Time Weekly magazine.

Involving complex styles and techniques, and making use of precious materials, some manicure designs are priced at over 10,000 yuan ($1,384). Many netizens on social media have shared their expensive nail art, mostly featuring more advanced techniques such as painting, three-dimensional effects, embossing and gradient shading.

As this lunisolar year is the Year of the Dragon, the nail designs during the Spring Festival holiday primarily revolved around dragon-inspired designs. Such intricate nail art styles usually take a long time to complete, ranging from five to six hours or sometimes even more than 10 hours.

The rising prices of traditional manicures have led to the popularity of affordable and convenient wearable artificial nail options.

Being worn and removed repeatedly, these replacements are generally divided into two main categories: handcrafted nails and machine-printed ones. The former involves manually creating designs on individual artificial nail tips, which can be customized based on specific requests. The pricing for handcrafted wearable nails can range from tens to hundreds of yuan (a couple of U.S. dollars to tens of dollars). In comparison, machine-printed wearable nails are mass-produced on factory assembly lines, with designs printed directly onto the nail tips. These can be offered at very affordable prices, sometimes as low as 9.9 yuan ($1.37) for a set.

However, there are certain risks associated with nail beauty. If counterfeit or substandard products are used, or if the procedure is not performed by professionals, it can potentially lead to a range of health issues such as fungal infections. In September 2015, the Ministry of Commerce issued a service specification outlining service processes and personnel requirements in a bid to better protect consumers' rights and health.

Global popularity

As the nail market in China experiences a significant boom, an increasing number of related companies are venturing into international markets to explore new avenues for growth. These companies are expanding their operations overseas, mainly targeting Europe, North America, South America and the Middle East, as well as emerging markets in Southeast Asia.

Companies in Yiwu of Zhejiang Province have emerged as prominent players. Known as "the world's supermarket," the Yiwu International Trade Market offers a diverse range of commodities, along with efficient logistics and a favorable business environment. Fengshangmei, one of the leading nail beauty companies in Yiwu, has been at the forefront of this expansion, developing tens of thousands of nail products.

Yang Yan, sales director of Fengshangmei, said their production workshops are operating at full capacity, with wearable nail product orders lined up until mid to late June. Notably, a significant portion of these orders come from overseas markets. Yang also said foreign merchants have visited their factory directly to inspect the goods, indicating the growing demand for their products internationally.

To stay ahead in the market, companies like Fengshangmei are continuously upgrading their technologies and equipment. They focus on research and innovation, resulting in the development of environmentally friendly wearable nails made from renewable and biodegradable materials. This commitment to technological advancements and sustainability reflects the industry's dedication to meeting the evolving needs of customers worldwide.

At the international cosmetics expo Cosmoprof Asia 2022 in Singapore, exhibitors from Yiwu received a significant portion of their orders from Southeast Asia, with anticipated future orders projected to range between 200 million and 300 million yuan ($27.68 million to 41.52 million).

According to estimates from market consultancy 168 Report, the global wearable nail market is expected to reach $9 billion by 2027.

(Print Edition Title: Nailed It)

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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