Recently, a consumer shared the news that they spent 1200 yuan on a shared power bank, which quickly made it to the hot news search and sparked a heated discussion among netizens about the price of shared power banks.
To this end, the reporter visited two shopping malls in Fengtai, Huaifang Wanda and Dayue Chunfengli, Beijing. The reporter noticed that these two malls featured products from multiple companies, such as Caller, Monster Charging, and Meituan Power Bank, with prices ranging from 4 yuan to 5 yuan per hour.
"The installation of the store does not require any money, just the power supply is sufficient. It can be plugged in 24 hours a day, and it is 8 watts, which can last for 10 yuan a month," Yang Zhi (pseudonym), a staff member in charge of business cooperation at a street power company, told the Huaxia Times. Compared to the hourly charging cost mentioned above, it is a world of difference.
"For consumers, rising prices may lower their willingness to use shared power banks, especially when prices exceed their psychological expectations. This may lead to a decrease in the usage of shared power banks, thereby affecting the revenue of operators," said Bai Wenxi, Vice Chairman of the China Enterprise Capital Alliance, to a reporter from Huaxia Times
"All kinds of roast"
How did I spend 1200 yuan on a shared power bank in a year? From publicly available screenshots online, it can be seen that the consumer spent 840 yuan on Meituan Power Bank and 264 yuan on Monster Charging. Excluding other street and phone platforms, they spent around 1200 yuan a year borrowing Power Bank.
According to the person, this amount of money exceeds the total recharge amount of all its App members. The reporter noticed that among the consumer, he also mentioned twice forgetting to pay the top 99 yuan. After this news was released, on the first day of work after the holiday, it quickly fermented and made it onto the news hot search, causing hot comments from netizens.
The reporter found that these roast are "diverse", but can be roughly divided into three categories. One is that some people dislike the slow charging of the shared power bank. The netizen complained that "once used, it is slow to die", "charging is slower than a turtle", and "even if the price rises, 20% of the power will not be available for more than an hour"
Secondly, some consumers are dissatisfied with "returning the power bank", stating that "they cannot find a space when returning it.". A netizen mentioned, "I used it for half an hour and couldn't find a place to return it, resulting in a deduction of 35 yuan." In fact, there are many people like this who forget to return and can't find a place. Once forgotten, it can cost as little as a few tens of yuan, and as high as enough to buy a power bank.
Thirdly, consumers generally believe that prices are expensive and not cost-effective, with many netizens stating that they cannot afford them and that they are outrageously expensive. Some have also revealed that places such as trains and buses are even more expensive, stating that they are "ignorant and ignorant, the train station is already 6 yuan per hour" and "8 yuan per hour on a bus". This is also the most discussed point among people after the news that the power bank spent 1200 yuan was released.
"The high rental fees may lead to consumer aversion, reduce usage frequency, and even switch to bringing their own charging devices, thereby affecting market share and business growth," said Yu Fenghui, a new financial expert and economist, to a reporter from Huaxia Times.
Charging 4-5 yuan/hour
It is understood that when the shared power bank was first launched in 2017, the price was mostly 1 yuan/hour. At that time, users were even free for the first 30 minutes and one hour of use, and their daily top spending was only 10 yuan.
However, in recent years, news reflecting the price increase of shared power banks has repeatedly made headlines, which can be described as one after another.
In order to fully understand the price situation of shared power banks, the reporter conducted on-site research. The reporter first visited Huaifang Wanda Shopping Mall in Fengtai District, Beijing. At the entrance of the bathroom not far from the entrance on the first floor of the mall, there stood a small power bank. The reporter scanned the code on WeChat, and the machine was priced at 5 yuan per hour. If it is less than 1 hour, it will be charged for 1 hour, with a maximum of 50 yuan every 24 hours and a total limit of 99 yuan.
The cute pet store on the second floor has a street electric charging device, which charges 5 yuan/hour, 60 yuan for 24 hours, and a maximum of 99 yuan.
Beijing Wanda Huaifang Wanda Moe Pet Store. Photo by Li Jiajia
On the same floor, there is a Meituan power bank placed on the table of Baby Wang in the children's play area. The reporter scanned the code and found that the device is relatively cheap, at 4 yuan/hour. If it takes less than 60 minutes, it will be counted as 60 minutes. The maximum cost for 24 hours is 30 yuan, and the total maximum cost is also 99 yuan.
The reporter found another small electric charging device outside the restroom on the second floor. In addition, the reporter did not find any charging devices in beauty salons, hair salons, or multiple restaurants. A barber shop staff told a reporter from the Huaxia Times that shopping malls are not allowed to display anything except for KTVs and cinemas.
The reporter then went to Dayue Chunfeng and found that the same was true. On the first floor, an unusable incoming charging device was found, and on the third floor, there was also an incoming charging device that displayed 4 yuan/hour, with a maximum limit of 40 yuan/hour and a total limit of 100 yuan.
Two monster charging devices are placed at the entrance of the children's play area on the third floor, priced at 2 yuan/30 minutes, 36 yuan/24 hours, and capped at 99 yuan.
Overall, charging in shopping malls ranges from 4 yuan to 5 yuan per hour, while charging for 24 hours ranges from 30 yuan to 60 yuan, with the top grid costing around 99 yuan. Compared to 1 yuan/hour in 2017, it has indeed increased by three or four times.
At the hospital, a consumer told a reporter from Huaxia Times that when she went to Guang'anmen Hospital to see a doctor, she often had to queue up and had to charge her phone when it ran out of battery. It was 3 yuan per hour, not even during peak hours. Sometimes when she went at 9 o'clock in the morning, the power bank was gone.
"70% to 30%" has become an industry convention
Nowadays, smartphones are becoming increasingly popular and society's dependence on mobile devices is increasing. Why has "timely rain", which solves charging anxiety, transformed into a "luxury item" in just a few years? The price is not only not affordable, but also increasingly expensive?
Bai Wenxi pointed out, "Firstly, with the development of the sharing economy and intensified competition, the concentration of the industry is constantly increasing, and the market pattern entering the oligopoly stage will inevitably lead to price increases. Secondly, the entry and maintenance costs of shared power banks are also constantly increasing, including equipment maintenance, personnel maintenance, venue leasing and other expenses."
"The price increase of shared power banks and shared bicycles is a logic. After reshuffling, leading companies have emerged, and user consumption habits have also been cultivated." Some analysts believe.
"Although prices have risen, due to the demand for emergency charging, some consumers still choose to rent in specific situations, and operators use this consumption characteristic to adjust prices." Yu Fenghui said, "With the intensification of competition in offline scenarios, the entry fees and sharing ratios of merchants have increased, especially in bustling areas, tourist attractions, and other places, operators have to pay a higher price in order to obtain high-quality location resources."
So, what is the profit sharing of the power bank?
When communicating with the staff of Wanda and Baobao Wang, the reporter learned that they can earn 70% of the profit from the Meituan power bank displayed in their store.
Subsequently, the reporter contacted Yang Zhi (pseudonym), a business partner of Jiedian, by phone. He told the reporter, "Electricity is not used much, it is plugged in 24 hours a day, it is 8 watts, and it can last for 10 yuan per month. The share is between you, 7, and 3, which is 10 yuan. You share 7 yuan, and we share 3 yuan. It is almost the same rule in the power bank market."
"There is a situation where the entire shopping mall has an exclusive agreement with a (power bank provider), and in such large-scale places, payment is usually made annually." The staff member mentioned, "Large merchants such as karaoke bars, shopping malls, and hospitals have an annual payment, such as giving 100000 yuan per year, earning 130000 yuan per year, and earning 30000 yuan."
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