The truth about Shenzhen spa closure: Get the latest updates and what it means for you.

So, you’ve been hearing about these spas in Shenzhen shutting their doors, eh? It’s all over the place, it seems. For me, well, it wasn’t exactly a bolt from the blue, if you know what I mean. I had a little… let’s call it an ‘encounter’ with that whole scene a while back, and it left a certain taste in my mouth.

My Brush with the “Boom”

A few years ago, before things got really weird globally, a so-called buddy of mine, let’s call him “Lee,” was trying to get me to jump on a bandwagon. He was all hyped up, telling me, “Man, you gotta get in on this! Shenzhen’s leisure scene is exploding! Money everywhere!” He wasn’t talking about me opening a spa, nah. He was running a small-time gig, supplying stuff to these places – you know, towels, those little soap bars, maybe some fancy oils, the works. He wanted my cash to expand his operations. “Passive income, my friend, passive income!” he kept chirping.

So, I thought, okay, let me at least take a look. I hopped on a train down to Shenzhen. Lee showed me around. Bright lights, big fancy entrances, lots of people milling about. He was waving spreadsheets in my face, talking about growth, demand, all that jazz. It looked pretty impressive on the surface, I gotta admit. Lots of activity, that’s for sure.

But here’s the thing. I started walking around on my own, just observing. Talked to a few of the regular folks, not the big shots. The delivery guys, the ladies cleaning the streets nearby, the guy selling snacks from a cart. Their stories were a bit different. Things like:

• “Oh, this one just opened last month. The one across the street? Closed down three months ago.”
• “Lots of bosses come and go. Not many stick around for long.”
• “It’s busy, yeah, but you never know when it’ll go quiet.”

It wasn’t anything concrete, just a vibe, you know? The whole setup felt a bit like a movie set – looked great, but you wondered what was holding it up from behind. Seemed like a lot of these places were chasing quick money, not building something to last. Very transient. Very… unstable, if you ask me.

I told Lee, “Thanks, but no thanks.” I just had this nagging feeling. He was a bit miffed, said I was too cautious, gonna miss the boat. Maybe he was right, for a while. But boats can sink, can’t they?

And Then, Silence

Fast forward a bit. The world went sideways. And then, slowly, I started hearing the news. This spa shut down. That chain is having problems. Lee? Poof. Vanished. Tried calling him once or twice, just out of curiosity. Phone number disconnected. No surprise there, really.

So, when I hear about all these Shenzhen spas closing up shop now, I just nod. Yeah, sounds about right. It’s not because I’m some genius who can predict the future. Not at all. It’s just… I saw the glitter, but I also got a tiny peek at what was underneath. And sometimes, what glitters ain’t gold, it’s just cheap plating. These places were burning bright, sure, but like a candle, they were burning fast. Once the wind changed, pfft, out they went.

It’s a tough lesson, I guess. Chasing the fast buck often leads to a fast exit. That’s just how it goes sometimes.