Lazy Economy: New crayfish peeler service meets border market demand

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The next time you prepare seafood at home, you may find it to be a clean, hassle-free process. A supermarket chain with stores in central China has hired some part time crayfish peelers. But not everyone seems into it. CGTN's Zhao Yunfei takes us to Hubei Province.

Seafood doesn't have to be just for those with expensive tastes or a knack for cracking and peeling. For a small processing fee, this supermarket in Wuhan helps you cook the gourmet food after you buy it. And for just a little more money, you can get your crayfish peeled.

ZHANG LILI CRAYFISH PEELER "Peeling crayfish is fun, especially when you successfully pull the entire shrimp out of the shell. It gives you a sense of accomplishment."

Zhang Lili, a Hubei local and shrimp foodie, says this weekend part time job has added flavor to her life. But will she and the other peelers get lots of customers? Many say, probably not.

STORE CUSTOMERS "I can do it myself. There's no point in someone doing it for me."

"Peeling the shrimp is part of the process of enjoying the food."

Although the demand is not high, the shop owner sees potential from the new service.

PENG RONG MANAGER, HEMAXIANSHENG STORE "It's just a creative approach by the store to better serve customers. You know people cannot live without their cellphones. We just want to free your hands from peeling shrimp, so that you can use your phone while eating."

ZHAO YUNFEI WUHAN, HUBEI PROVINCE "It takes just a few minutes to turn these live crayfish into seafood on your table. Somebody cooks them for you, somebody helps you peel the shrimp. All the conveniences are brought by merchants to stimulate consumption given the fact that Hubei is one of the world's largest producers of crayfish."

More than 800 thousand tons of crayfish are produced in Hubei annually. Seafood is a major driving force of the province's economy. Some international investors have shown interest in Chinese crayfish, or Xiaolongxia.

ZIED GUIZA CHAIRMAN, AFRICA CHINA INVESTMENT & DEVELOPMENT GROUP "We want to develop Xiaolongxia outside China. Many countries aren't familiar with it, especially African countries."

Many cities have even developed their own crayfish culture, like here in Qianjiang, near the provincial capital. Some say as the market goes abroad, services like crayfish peeling may not seem so odd to diversified consumers. Zhao Yunfei, CGTN, Hubei Province.