Store exploration influencers share authentic consumer experiences, bridge online, offline worlds

"Store exploration influencers," those who share their authentic consumer experiences at places including restaurants and scenic areas through videos, livestreams and posts on social media platforms, connect the online and offline worlds and provide reliable references for consumers.

In July this year, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and other two departments included the new occupation of "life service experience officer" in the list of officially recognized occupations, marking the official recognition of "store exploration influencers."

Liu Yiyang, a 41-year-old former comedian hailing from Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, has made a name for herself as one of China's pioneering store exploration influencers. Her food exploration video account on Chinese popular short video platform Douyin has garnered 340,000 followers.

Liu Yiyang (R) and her father are featured in an episode of her video series "Dining with Dad." (Photo/Huang Huiying)

"I have a passion for food, so I often explore delicacies," Liu said. Taking the opportunities of dining out, Liu began to shoot videos of herself exploring delicacies, and gradually became a store exploration influencer.

Over four years, Liu has launched several popular series of videos, with the "Dining with Dad" series striking a chord with viewers.

"Dining with my father not only allows us to savor food together but also naturally showcases the warmth of our father-daughter relationship," she said.

However, Liu's journey hasn't been without its difficulties, including issues with video editing and negative comments from netizens early on. She once faced criticism when a restaurant treated influencers and regular customers differently. Liu recommended a dish at a restaurant in her video, but the restaurant served a different version of the dish to regular customers.

"Viewers go to eat based on my recommendations. It was disappointing to learn that they were not treated fairly," Liu said. This incident led her to establish stricter standards, only recommending delicacies she genuinely enjoys at restaurants with credibility.

"Exploring stores is like building bridges. We hope to provide reliable and quality services for customers while helping restaurants increase their revenue," Liu said, suggesting that restaurants need to ensure service quality.

Liu maintains a firm stance on authenticity, refusing sponsored content that doesn't meet her standards. "Even if businesses approach me directly, I won't provide false praise. That's my principle," Liu said.

With the recognition of the new profession of "life service experience officer," it is expected that more people will join the store exploration industry, Liu noted.

According to data from Douyin, as of July 2024, the number of store exploration influencers on the platform had surged 40 percent year on year, and their exploration videos had helped businesses boost revenue by 63 percent.

Major platforms, including Douyin, Meituan, and Xiaohongshu have been actively supporting store exploration influencers in creating quality content.

Experts suggest that as an increasing number of new professions emerge, more comprehensive legal frameworks need to be developed.