In many people's eyes, Internet+ is just emerging; however, from Liu Kuang's perspective, in many traditional industries, Internet+ has already entered a post-era. The most familiar example is the fierce cash-burning competition between Didi and Kuaidi — within just over two years from the start of the battle to their merger, they monopolized the online ride-hailing market. Today, Liu Kuang wants to discuss massage O2O, which is also ushering in a post-Internet+ era.

Whether it's home-service or store-visit models, or a combination of both, a few dominant players are emerging. After crazy explosive growth last year, the reshuffle is accelerating this year. It is estimated that by the end of this year or early next year, more massage O2O platforms will be phased out. So, in the massage O2O market, who will ultimately triumph?

Kung Fu Bear: Home-service Only

There are numerous O2O platforms focusing on home massage services, including Kung Fu Bear, Dian Dao, Dian Miao Shou, Panda Home, Li Master, Lai E Zhang — at least dozens of them. Home massage is the most competitive segment within the entire massage O2O field. Currently, Kung Fu Bear has become the industry leader. How did Kung Fu Bear succeed in becoming the top home-massage platform? It achieved breakthroughs from the following perspectives:

First, leveraging corporate office massage as a breakthrough.

In the early stage of Kung Fu Bear, many collaborations with internet companies provided office-based neck and shoulder massage services, thus accumulating the first batch of users. Group booking, compared to individual reservations, eliminated mutual concerns between users and masseurs and built initial trust. Many internet company employees suffer from occupational ailments, making neck and shoulder massage a rigid need — home service perfectly caters to their preference for convenience.

Second, focusing on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) massage.

As we know, many offline massage services are primarily entertainment-oriented with high prices and relatively low professionalism. For those with serious pain who need therapeutic TCM massage, it is not easy to find quality clinics, and traveling is inconvenient. Kung Fu Bear targeted this pain point by launching TCM home massage focused on medical wellness, thereby winning the market.

Third, in traditional massage shops, masseurs receive only a small share of revenue.

Kung Fu Bear gives almost all the commission to the masseurs, gaining their strong support while also reducing the risk of off-platform transactions. For consumers, home services eliminate store rental costs, offering lower prices. Therefore, Kung Fu Bear wins both the approval of masseurs and the recognition of consumers.

So, can Kung Fu Bear, which only provides home massage, disrupt the entire offline market? Liu Kuang believes that several issues will prevent it from dominating the entire massage O2O market, let alone subverting the store-visit market:

1. Safety concerns. Safety is a major challenge for all home massage services. Although Kung Fu Bear has implemented strict screening for both clients and masseurs, safety risks remain inevitable; the platform can only minimize the probability of incidents.

2. Team composition. Currently, most massage shop practitioners are female, but safety issues in home services may lead to a significant shortage of female masseurs. This imposes considerable limitations on Kung Fu Bear's team.

3. Venue limitations. Although Kung Fu Bear gives each member a foldable portable massage bed, home massage still has constraints — sofas or beds at home or in the office cannot match the experience of professional massage tables.

4. Trust issues. There is a severe lack of trust between users and masseurs in home services. Users worry about property and privacy safety, while masseurs also have security concerns.

5. Quality consistency. Ensuring stable long-term service quality is a considerable challenge for Kung Fu Bear. Despite unified interviews, training, and a user rating system, home services cannot be monitored on-site like offline shops.

7 o'clock: Store-visit Only

Unlike Kung Fu Bear, 7 o'clock focuses exclusively on store-visit massage services and has become a leader in this segment. The platform avoids home services because they believe home massage is not a high-frequency consumption behavior. They argue that most massage consumption will ultimately happen in physical stores:

First, from the perspective of consumer choice diversity, store-visit services offer more variety. Home services mainly provide TCM massage, while store visits allow consumers to choose from massage, foot therapy, SPA, TCM tuina, and more. 7 o'clock has partnered with strong brands such as Liangzi Fitness, Wuzhisheng, Fuqiao, and Qianzilian to meet diverse consumer demands.

Second, for merchants, 7 o'clock helps bring more customers, making them willing to cooperate. By collaborating with merchants, strictly selecting masseurs, and showcasing their profiles, 7 o'clock certifies "star masseurs" with complete credentials and excellent service attitude. This enables consumers to quickly find the best nearby offline masseurs.

Third, 7 o'clock gained a foothold in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen within three months, expanding to Guangzhou and Shanghai thanks to a strong online-offline team. CEO Zhu Lei and COO Zhao Bing both come from Alibaba, having managed thousands of teams; CTO Li Xungeng has led core projects for Tencent, YY Voice, and LeDou Games.

However, focusing solely on store-visit services, 7 o'clock overlooks multiple demands for home services:

1. Lazy demand. Massage is a relaxing experience. Many people feel exhausted after work and would happily accept home massage. Asking them to go out to a shop may discourage them.

2. Elderly demand. For seniors with limited mobility, receiving TCM massage at home is a rigid need.

3. Patient demand. For individuals with neck, shoulder, or other physical discomforts, home TCM therapy is also a rigid requirement. These people care deeply about their health and prefer skilled masseurs who can visit regularly.

AnShuang: Covering Both Home and Store

Previously, Liu Kuang predicted that a giant covering both home and store services would emerge in the massage O2O field. And indeed, some platforms have begun to integrate the entire market. Beijing Jianletong, once lukewarm, repositioned itself and launched the AnShuang platform, which offers both home and store services, rapidly rising as a dark horse that dominates both segments:

First, AnShuang positions itself as an Internet-upgrade partner for the TCM massage and foot care industry, rather than a disruptor. This successful positioning has won strong support from major chains such as华夏良子, Wuzhisheng, Qianzilian, and Yunlongxuan. AnShuang provides comprehensive internet services and products to help offline shops quickly upgrade to mobile internet. For consumers, offering both home and store services satisfies different user preferences.

Second, AnShuang's customized service projects have been well received by many companies. It has served Tencent, Baidu, Sohu, JD.com, Wine Online, and Tianxia Internet, establishing long-term cooperation to provide personalized massage services for their employees.

Third, AnShuang's expert appointment feature attracts many massage consumers. Famous experts greatly enhance the platform's brand image and build strong consumer trust.

Fourth, The all-in-one AnShuang Card allows consumers to use it at all partner massage shops, gaining wide popularity. Previously, shops issued various membership cards that were valid only at their own stores. If a shop went out of business, consumers lost their balance without compensation. AnShuang Card works at any partner store and avoids such risks.

However, to fully dominate the massage O2O market, AnShuang still has a long way to go:

1. AnShuang has focused mainly on integrating offline massage resources. Its home service development has just begun in the Beijing market, and it will take time to expand nationwide. Meanwhile, AnShuang faces many other competitors in both home and store segments.

2. Although AnShuang offers booking via WeChat public account, APP, website, and 400 hotline, it still lacks a strong traffic portal compared to integrated O2O platforms like Meituan, Dianping, and 58.

In summary, Liu Kuang believes that competition in the massage O2O market will intensify in the second half of the year, and a cash-burning war will follow. The platform that first captures the entire market and wins consumer recognition is most likely to stand out as the vertical giant of massage O2O.

[Author: Liu Kuang, WeChat public account: liukuang110]