A RECENTLY opened store in Longgang District that claimed to help people find their significant other has garnered attention from many citizens living nearby, Shenzhen Evening News reported.

The store said that it is “devoted to providing a safe, real and reliable platform for people to find their significant other and hope to help people meet their own true love through the platform.”

According to the shop’s owner surnamed Ding, who was born in the 1990s, he got the idea from the “marriage market.”

Many of Ding’s friends are single. Their main difficulties lie in failure to meet the right person and a small circle of friends.

Ding suggested that matchmaking markets still exist and the tradition has been well-established in China for thousands of years.

“I then had an idea to change a traditional matchmaking agency to a new form that will be favored by young people. It’s more like a floating bottle or blind box. I think they will be open-minded to this idea,” Ding said.

When talking about reasons opening a brick-and-mortar store, Ding said that there are many apps available with lots of user information. However, it is hard for operators of apps to verify the information’s authenticity.

“My store only serves people living 2 to 3 kilometers away from here. So, it is safer and more reliable,” Ding said, adding that “I chose the location because it is close to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, where roughly 70% of people living nearby are tenants. Many of them are not married.”

People looking for romance can leave a note with their personal information and partner preference. The notes will then be placed in a bottle until other customers pick it up. During the process, shop staffers will check the information and guide customers to sign an agreement.

Customers need to pay 25.8 yuan (US$3.8) to leave a note and 5.2 yuan to open a bottle for information.

Some people observed the idea is interesting while others are concerned about legal risks involved in information exchange.

“This does not constitute an invasion of privacy. The purpose of using information is mainly for blind dates, and the act does not violate the mandatory provisions of laws and regulations. Participants’ personal information is voluntarily provided, meaning they agree to exchange information,” said Cheng Yongfeng from Guangdong Wenpin Law Firm.

Cheng said the operator should remind customers not to share sensitive information to prevent it from illegal use and to be cautious of fraudulent information. (Wang Jingli)