The Decline of Computer Malls: A Microcosm of an Era

The Decline of Computer Malls: A Microcosm of an EraIf the present era is the age of the smartphone, then the period before 2015 was undoubtedly the age of the computer. The proliferation of smartphones has led to a significant decrease in computer usage

The Decline of Computer Malls: A Microcosm of an Era

If the present era is the age of the smartphone, then the period before 2015 was undoubtedly the age of the computer. The proliferation of smartphones has led to a significant decrease in computer usage. Today, even many elderly people are smartphone users, many of whom are unfamiliar with or have never used a computer. Simultaneously, it's not uncommon for many young people in the 00s generation to only use phones and not computers. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the gaming industry, where many young people in the 00s generation prefer mobile gaming, while many in the 90s and 80s generations still favor PC gaming. The progress of time has left a profound mark; people now self-identify based on whether their primary electronic device is a phone or a computer, a clear reflection of societal change.

The era of computer popularity spawned related industries such as computer malls, internet cafes, and gaming cafes. The smartphone era, conversely, gave rise to mobile phone stores, screen protector stalls, and 3C digital accessory stores. Each era has its unique industrial trends. Now, computers are gradually fading from the public eye, and related businesses like computer malls, internet cafes, and gaming cafes are declining. This is because, for computer professionals, these fields offer limited profit opportunities and growth; while for computer novices, there's no need to navigate the pitfalls their predecessors experienced. Consequently, lacking a large middle market and upward mobility, computer malls have ultimately faced widespread closures.

However, some netizens argue that computer malls should have closed down long ago, believing that most vendors were unscrupulous, with few honest businesses. Many computer novices were swindled and suffered significant financial losses in computer malls. These scams ranged from inflating prices to build high-priced, low-configuration computers, to swapping or stealing parts during used equipment recyclingfor instance, replacing a graphics card under the guise of only recycling a hard drive. Some netizens believe the computer mall business was a ruthlessly exploitative, high-profit industry. As not everyone understands computers, and relevant laws and regulations are incomplete, many exploitative practices fall into a grey area, evading legal consequences. Therefore, many victims find complaints to the market supervision bureau and other relevant departments ineffective. Lacking strict regulation, various irregularities pervaded computer malls, including even the once-renowned Gangding Computer City in Guangzhou, touted as the largest in southern China.

Gangding Computer City once thrived, but with the influx of profit-seekers, its reputation suffered greatly. Its current state resembles that of Huaqiangbei, a notoriously complex and challenging market. The rise and fall of Gangding Computer City serves as a microcosm for other industries, ultimately ending in obsolescence or, arguably, "self-destruction."

However, were there truly no honest businesses in computer malls at the beginning? Not necessarily. Any industry, when it first emerges or takes shape, will see a large number of honest businesses. But why did these honest businesses disappear later? This is a question worth pondering. We cannot simply assume, based on the current uneven landscape, that honest businesses were always small in scale. If there were no honest businesses in computer malls, the computer industry wouldn't have developed so rapidly. These early honest businesses, in a sense, were pioneers of the industry. Ironically, these pioneers ultimately chose to abandon the path they had paved.

Shipai West Computer City, part of Gangding Computer City, opened in 2003. This summer, the announcement of its impending closure sparked widespread online discussion, focusing on the reasons for the decline and the current state of the business. Media interviews with merchants revealed a telling story: one owner primarily engaged in computer parts and repairs lamented that around 2010, daily income from repairs alone was highthough not tens of thousands, several thousand yuan was commonbut has now drastically shrunk to less than 200 yuan. The owner attributed this to a lack of customers, suggesting that computer malls are now "disreputable and worthless," making business extremely difficult.

The flourishing of computer malls was largely due to the lack of offline professional competition. In many smaller cities, computer malls were the only option for assembling or repairing computers. This resulted in an almost exploitative profit model. As is well known, any industry that generates significant profit will attract a large influx of participants, and computer malls were no exception.

Initially, computer malls may have housed many shops run by highly skilled computer experts or enthusiasts. However, over time, various capital poured in, and many shop owners became completely ignorant of computers, focused solely on lowering prices and maximizing profits. Others were semi-skilled, only capable of basic repairs. Even so, many computer novices were forced to entrust their computers to these less-skilled individuals.

Of course, dedicated and knowledgeable computer experts remained, but the pool of new customers dwindled after experiencing poor service from less competent vendors. Gradually, these experts retained only long-term customers. Computers, however, don't require frequent repairs or replacements, leading to increasingly lower income for these experts. Many, due to financial pressures, chose to exit the industry or transition to online stores to expand their customer base.

As these professionals disappeared from computer malls, these places became synonymous with unscrupulous practices. Many people, especially those who had been scammed, became wary of computer malls.

Some owners in Shipai West Computer City offered their perspectives. Many cited two reasons for the downturn: firstly, the smartphone has become the darling of the modern era, replacing many computer functions, and aside from students and those with office needs, few ordinary people use computers; secondly, online shopping is highly developed, changing people's habits and preferences. Young people tend to favor online ordering and delivery, rarely visiting physical stores, leading to a sharp decline in business for brick-and-mortar establishments.

Today, the computer business is struggling, and many shops are idle. The past prosperity of "one shop supporting three generations" is long gone. After more than two decades, computer malls have been overtaken by the times. But what about offline smartphone and digital accessory stores? Will screen protector stalls, once highly profitable, survive the loss of those high margins?

Reference: Guangzhou Gangding's Another Computer Mall Announces Closure! Where Will Merchants Go? Reporter's On-site Visit | Yangcheng Evening News

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