The upstairs of the kindergarten was changed into an "elderly activity center", and "new seniors" became the target group

　　First Finance Author: Chen Hanci

　　Spring is cold and then warms up, with drizzle.

After sending her granddaughter to school in the morning, Aunt Li became relaxed, but also quite bored.

　　Waking up at six o'clock, cooking, and seeing off her granddaughter... This repetitive and unshakable "retirement" life has lasted for many years. For Aunt Li, a former medical worker, it was a helpless choice.

Exhausted physically and mentally, she decided to give herself a gift before Women's Day and find an "elderly activity and exchange center" so that she could have a life she loved after helping her children with the housework.

　　"I have taken some elderly model classes before, but the relationship was complicated and getting along was too tiring. This time I want to find a team with a better environment and simpler relationships." Aunt Li told China Business News on March 8.

　　Through a certain platform, Aunt Li frequently came across news about "elderly activity centers" renovated by several kindergartens: one is located on the fourth floor of a kindergarten, and the activity center is a kindergarten concert hall activity room renovated; the other is a kindergarten that has been completely renovated. After logging out, it completely becomes a senior activity exchange center.

　　Some "kindergartens" have been turned into "elderly activity centers" and have now become a microcosm of the development of the silver industry.

　　On February 29, the "Statistical Bulletin of the National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China in 2023" released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the number of children in preschool education in 2023 decreased by 5.345 million compared with the previous year, which has been reduced for three consecutive years.

　　Some experts predict that in the past three years, nearly 100,000 kindergartens, especially some private kindergartens, will face the difficult choice of "rolling in" or "rolling outside".

　　Another set of data may provide a window for kindergarten principals who are already in trouble.

　　As of the end of 2023, the number of people over 60 years old in my country reached 297 million, accounting for 21.1% of the population, and the number of people over 65 years old was 217 million, accounting for 15.4% of the total population.

　　A research report shows that the new and elderly people of the “6275” (referring to the newly born population between 1962 and 1975) have become the main consumer group in the silver economy.

　　How to serve children's grandparents well has become a new path for kindergartens in transition to explore.

　　forced to transform

　　According to the statistical bulletin, in 2023, there will be 40.93 million children in preschool education, a decrease of 5.345 million compared with 2022.

Combing through the statistical bulletin data in recent years, the number of children in preschool education in 2020 reached 48.183 million, which is the peak in recent years.

Since then, the number of children in preschool education has dropped to 48.052 million in 2021, and then dropped to 46.275 million in 2022.

　　"At the end of last year, before we decided to completely transform, we were also uneasy. After all, we didn't know what we could do except for the children's market." said Principal Li, an investor in the original "Xiao Yudian Kindergarten" in Liuxiang, Taiyuan City, Shanxi.

　　Liuxiang, a bustling market where merchants were busy during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, was once the place where five major silk and satin shops including "Dalongxiang and Qingji" competed for business.

Time flies, and as Bell Tower Street is renovated and upgraded, the time-honored brand appears again.

Liuxiang is still one of the most prestigious business districts in Taiyuan, and it remains prosperous and lively.

　　"Xiao Yudian Kindergarten" is located next to Kaihua Temple within the Liuxiang business district.

　　"We are an inclusive kindergarten. Our main service targets are children from surrounding businesses. In the past, we didn't have to worry about enrolling students. But during the three-year epidemic, everyone was the same. Class time was limited. In addition, our online classes did not charge fees and our income was very small. I have survived the day. What I originally thought was that things would get better after everything returns to normal." Principal Li, who has been engaged in education for more than 30 years, still hopes to be able to do early childhood education, but the reality is cruel.

　　Kindergarten enrollment will see a sharp decline in the spring of 2022.

　　After analysis, Principal Li believes that there are two main reasons: first, with the increase and expansion of Taiyuan’s business district, some businesses around the kindergarten began to move to the south of Taiyuan City, and the kindergarten that originally relied on word-of-mouth lost some old customers; second, the overall "The most important trend is that the birth rate has changed."

　　At the end of February, the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Statistics released the "Main Data Bulletin of the Sample Survey on Population Changes in Shanxi Province in 2023". The number of births in the province in 2023 was 213,100, a decrease of 22,000 from the previous year; the birth rate was 6.13‰, a decrease from the previous year. 0.62 thousandths.

　　"I used to work for another preschool education group, and all the kindergartens were equipped with community facilities. The experience was more direct. Although several kindergartens were not closed down, it was indeed difficult to recruit students." Mr. Hao, an executive of another kindergarten group who was also worried After meeting with Principal Li, they hit it off immediately. After inspecting the market and business models of "senior activity centers" in Shandong and other places, the two decided to reorganize and start a business again.

　　In the second half of last year, Principal Li closed down and canceled the two kindergartens he belonged to, and re-registered a new company. The main business is the "Middle-aged and Elderly Activity Exchange Center."

　　"The business model of that company in Shandong is very good, but after all, we are in the early stages of starting a business, so we focus on 'stability', so we chose a local brand and paid the franchise fee. We also have to pay the franchise fee in terms of teacher qualifications, course arrangements and teacher equipment. It meets their requirements,” said Principal Li.

　　Business models need to be explored

　　The push information Aunt Li received came from the brand company that Principal Li joined.

　　China Business News reporter learned that this brand company has two major sectors: preschool education and elderly activity centers. Its elderly activity center chain has four or five stores in Taiyuan. One of the activity centers was renovated from the fourth floor of its kindergarten. The entire first floor is divided into a dance hall, a model hall, a refreshment hall, a dressing room, etc.

　　"We just rationalized the time utilization on the original four floors. The courses are basically arranged before the children's extended classes, so as not to affect the children's normal use. But the senior activity business here has just opened, so we still have to take it one step at a time. We hire very professional teachers and hope that mothers and grandmothers can find happiness here, while also exercising and making friends." said the principal of one of the elderly activity centers of this brand company.

　　Aunt Li said that the idea was very good and she could kill two birds with one stone. After seeing her grandchildren off, they could go home together after class.

　　Currently, the annual fee for this elderly activity center in Taiyuan is 980 yuan. After adding in the number of classes and free classes, the single fee is 20 yuan.

Nearly a hundred members have been recruited so far.

　　Several "senior activity center" brand companies export curriculum models and management models, and the current franchise fee is between 20,000 and 100,000 yuan.

　　Two elderly activity center brand companies in Shandong and Anhui have reached cooperation with 400 to 500 kindergartens across the country last year.

Based on this calculation, taking a well-known company in the industry as an example, the franchise fee collected nationwide is nearly 40 million yuan a year.

　　It is also understood that a kindergarten in Xi'an also vacated part of its space due to difficulty in recruiting students and added a "private" senior college. In addition to classes, it also organized seniors to participate in travel, performances and health activities, and conducted photo and video shooting.

　　The NewAgingPro new senior business research team under the silver economy industry service platform AgeClub once analyzed that "the main population of the silver economy is concentrated in the market, and self-pleasant consumption has become a trend." The reason is that China's second baby boom is the "6275" group. These " The "new old people" have experienced many economic dividends in Chinese society and have achieved relatively high wealth accumulation.

In terms of mentality, the new elderly are more positive, younger and more self-satisfied. They have money and leisure and are willing to consume for themselves.

　　This year’s government work report proposed the implementation of a national strategy to actively respond to population aging.

These include but are not limited to: increasing the minimum monthly basic pension standard for urban and rural residents by 20 yuan, continuing to increase the basic pension for retirees, and improving the national coordination of pension insurance.

Implement a personal pension system across the country and actively develop the third pillar of pension insurance.

Strengthen the construction of urban and rural community elderly care service networks, and increase efforts to make up for the shortcomings of rural elderly care services.

Strengthen the supply of supplies and services for the elderly and vigorously develop the silver economy.

　　"Our kindergartens are part of an earlier wave of transformation in Shanxi. Some kindergartens can adjust with the shift in urban economic consumption and population and open new kindergartens in economically active areas. But we are very confident about the future market of the 'senior activity center' , because I was very touched after being contacted. The dozens of women who have become members of our center are brave and enthusiastic. They are more willing to pay for their own happiness. But our challenge is, how to do a good job of 'happy service'? This Ruth needs to be explored step by step." Principal Li believes.