Imagine paying just 9.9 yuan ($1.36) for a 40-minute to 1-hour class that allows you to explore a range of skills. How many would you take? For Chen Sisi, a Beijing resident in her 30s, the answer is "10." Over the past two weeks, she has embraced her newfound passion for experience classes, seizing the opportunity to fill her weekends with affordable learning.

"At first, I only intended to sign up for a Traditional Chinese Medicine massage class to help my mother with her arthritis," Chen told Beijing Review. "But I found these classes to be both affordable and fascinating, so I ended up enrolling in 10 different ones."

Chen's experience classes span an impressive array of skills and hobbies, including baking, home economics, household appliance maintenance, traditional tea ceremonies, film processing, flower arranging, latte art, indoor bungee, skateboarding and Japanese anime studies. She noted that experience classes have become her preferred form of entertainment, replacing shopping.

Experience classes appeal to many young people like Chen. Data from online service platform Meituan indicate that from July to September 2024, the search volume for "experience classes" surged by 364 percent month on month. In addition, interest in such classes has also been influenced by current events; for example, interest in tennis experience classes surged by 48 percent after the golden success of tennis player Zheng Qinwen at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games last summer.

Thousands of vloggers on super popular lifestyle and e-commerce app Xiaohongshu (RedNote) are now regularly attending experience classes and sharing their progress, sparking discussion among their followers.

Affordable learning

Chen attributed the success of experience classes to their cost-effectiveness.

"If I were to sign up for a 'formal' program for any of the skills I've tried, it could cost over 100 yuan ($13.73) per hour. At 9.9 yuan, it's an opportunity that anyone can afford," she said.

"I think experience classes not only help young people save money but also promote environmental sustainability and green consumption. In my 20s, I was passionate about two different hobbies. If I'd had access to these experience classes back then, I wouldn't have wasted money on expensive learning materials," Chen added.

Wang Yunfei, an associate professor at the School of Sociology and Politics at Anhui University, told China News Service that low-priced experience classes cater to young people's desire to maximize their limited free time while exploring new interests outside their daily routines.

Chen Xu, a researcher at the Economics Research Institute of the Shaanxi Academy of Social Sciences, underscored that the rise of experience classes reflects young consumers' needs to alleviate physical and mental stress while diversifying their life experiences through affordable means.

"Experience classes attract many young consumers quickly because the 'try before you buy' model reduces the risk of costly mistakes. This approach expands leisure options for consumers and helps businesses reach target demographics, creating a win-win scenario," Chen Xu told local media.

"Experience classes are an essential part of our marketing strategy. Since January, I have hosted over 200 yoga and Pilates group classes, and more than 10 percent of customers have opted for more 'formal' sessions, with some even becoming gym members," Li Xinrui, a fitness center manager in Beijing, told Beijing Review.

"The popularity of our experience classes has also attracted partnerships with local businesses, such as restaurants in the mall [where the gym is located], which offer coupons to our participants, benefiting all parties involved," Li added.

Chen Xu elaborated that once businesses attract customers through experience classes, they should focus on converting these participants into long-term clients by fostering strong connections and building brand loyalty.

"Business owners should leverage experience classes to transform foot traffic into retained users," the researcher said.

Supervision and regulation

While experience classes offer mutual benefits for class takers and instructors, some learners have reported somewhat uncomfortable experiences, highlighting the importance of setting rules for these classes.

On Dianping, a popular Chinese review and recommendation platform, these low-cost classes are often limited to first-time customers.

Participants must make an appointment with the offerer of a class prior to arrival and can usually only attend one session. Additionally, some class offers impose restrictions on when the classes can be taken, such as weekdays only. Many classes are conducted in a "group session" format, and without careful reading of the rules, students may be disappointed with their experiences.

According to data from BLACK CAT Complaints, one of China's largest online consumer rights protection platforms, complaints about experience classes have exceeded 10,000. The primary issues reported include "reduced services," "hard selling" and "false advertising."

"I took a make-up skills experience class last week, and I ended up listening to the teacher bragging about their cosmetics products for half an hour," a customer surnamed Wu from Shanghai told Beijing Review. "I wouldn't mind buying the products if I found them effective, but I'm exhausted by the constant sales pitch."

Wang Yanni, a lawyer with Beijing Yingke Law Firm, emphasized the need for sales platforms to establish quality standards to protect consumers from poor experiences, such as hard selling and unqualified instructors.

"Class offers should be required to fully disclose any potential fees upfront in their course descriptions to avoid misleading practices like 'additional payments' and 'forced upgrades.' Furthermore, excessive marketing tactics should be prohibited, and merchants must not coerce consumers into purchasing long-term courses through exaggerated promotions or emotional manipulation," she stated in an interview with newspaper Legal Daily.

In cases of unfair contractual clauses, consumers can claim their invalidity. For instances of false advertising or forced consumption, consumers have the right to file complaints with market supervision departments and request refunds or compensation, Hu Qinyan, a lawyer from Yinghe Law Firm in Beijing, told Legal Daily. "However, many consumers opt not to pursue complaints due to the low cost of the classes and the relatively high expenses involved in enforcing their rights. This reluctance can lead to further violations in the market," Hu added.

Government departments have noticed these phenomena and begun to step in. The Jiangsu Provincial Consumer Rights Protection Committee recently issued a document on its official website, recommending that sales platforms ensure class offers meet training qualifications before offering experience classes. Additionally, these platforms should improve their evaluation mechanisms by opening up more user feedback channels, so as to safeguard their rights.

"Moreover, market supervision departments need to fulfill their responsibilities by strengthening oversight against violations such as false advertising, hidden charges and hard selling to protect consumers' legitimate rights and interests." Chen Xu said.

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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