Ziyang pedicurists leave footprint in New York

Yuanyuan Group has announced the opening of its first foot care and body relaxation shop in the United States, located on Court Street in Brooklyn, New York.

The announcement was made at a major Yuanyuan Group conference, which was held in Xi'an, Shaanxi province in Northwest China on Thursday.

The US move is the group's second overseas foot care shop, following the launch of its first location in Uzbekistan in April this year. Also on Thursday, Yuanyuan celebrated the simultaneous opening of a shop in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and of its flagship store in Shanghai.

Zheng Yuanyuan, chairman of Yuanyuan Group, said that the "Zheng Family Traditional Foot Care Technique", which carries great cultural and historical significance, has been officially recognized as part of Shaanxi province's seventh batch of representative intangible cultural heritage projects.

Zheng added that expanding the technique to countries like the US and Vietnam showcases China's ancient and exquisite foot care expertise and introduces its rich wellness traditions to a global audience.

"We aim to open more shops in the US to better serve international customers and create additional job opportunities," he said.

In recent years, Ziyang county in Shaanxi province has prioritized the foot care industry for economic development, with Yuanyuan Group leading the way.

After more than a decade of growth, the foot care industry has become a key pillar of the county's economic development. There are currently more than 130 foot massage and foot bath businesses in Ziyang, with over 54,000 employees and 23,000 shops.

In 2023, the industry's revenue reached 26 billion yuan ($3.68 billion), generating a total annual income of around 3 billion yuan for its employees.

Moving forward, Ziyang county aims to become a national hub for foot care and massage, a talent hub for pedicurists, and a supply center for foot care products.

The county plans to take the "Ziyang Foot Care" brand international, targeting 15 countries by 2028. By 2030, it aims to establish five businesses and over 1,000 shops abroad, with industry output expected to reach 40 billion yuan by 2025 and 100 billion yuan by 2030.