"You buy groceries, I cook for you", free cooking service taps into new business opportunities in offline markets.

You buy groceries, I cook for free! Recently, a free cooking service launched in a wet market in Yantian District, Shenzhen has attracted widespread attention and heated discussions online. It all started when Long Taiji, a "post-00s" beef stall owner, pioneered the "free cooking" service, instantly becoming the wet market's "top influencer" and uncovering new business opportunities for the entire market.

Seeing Long Taiji's booming business, many neighboring vendors have also introduced cooking services, doubling the market's customer flow. "Now the themed restaurant upstairs in the agricultural market is being renovated and will open soon, equipped with a kitchen. Customers can buy groceries downstairs and cook upstairs, achieving a seamless transition from 'shopping basket' to 'dining plate'," said a representative of the wet market.

According to Tianyancha Professional Edition data, as of now, there are over 15.768 million catering-related enterprises in operation or existence. Among them, from January to August 2024, over 1.704 million new related enterprises were registered. Geographically, Guangdong, Shandong, and Jiangsu lead with 1.565 million, 1.096 million, and 1.008 million related enterprises, respectively. In terms of establishment time, 43.2% of related enterprises were founded within 1-5 years, while 31.4% were established within 5-10 years.

Additionally, Tianyan Risk and Deep Risk data show that catering-related enterprises have approximately 61,000 judicial cases, accounting for 0.38% of the total number of enterprises.