Hawking tradition evolves to grab attention of worldwide audience

Before the internet reshaped daily life, the streets of China had their own rhythm. Vendors called out through alleyways and streets in singsong voices: "Sharpen your scissors," or "We buy secondhand fridges, TVs and washing machines." Such performance was honed over generations.

Today, the tradition lives on, but reimagined for the 21st century — and this time, the hawkers have a global audience.

The medium of short-video platforms might be new, but the approach feels familiar — stand in front of a product, deliver your pitch and make people pay attention, or in this case, stop scrolling.

"Hello boss, your house is ready," a middle-aged woman said in halting English on Instagram. Behind her are modular, capsule-style houses made in southern China.

Her descriptions are minimal: "Everything aluminium. Easy transport. Can be used in all countries." Yet, the videos regularly pull in millions — or even tens of millions — of views.

"Hello boss" has even become a meme, reposted and reimagined by other creators.

"I like the way the lady opens with 'hello boss'," said Francesco Armadillo, a Gen Z viewer in Italy."It makes me feel like she's here to work for me."

Armadillo has never been to China, but he is regularly exposed to the country online: footage of drone light shows, glimpses of Chongqing's layered skyline and a steady stream of merchants promoting their products.

He finds the videos creative and funny, and understands the creators' goal: grab attention and open new markets. Still, he has his doubts.

"When I watch the videos as a customer, I don't really feel the need to buy," he said.

The products are rarely everyday purchases — from portable homes and secondhand engines to industrial outdoor lighting and oversized speakers — items far removed from the average consumer's shopping list. But that hasn't stopped manufacturers from trying.

One example is HongdaTEX, a manufacturer of outdoor functional fabrics based in Zhejiang province. Since June last year, the company has been posting short videos on overseas platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, gaining around 100,000 followers.

Among them is a popular clip showing a young woman dancing in front of textile machines while singing a catchy line: "Cover fabric just one dollar, tent fabric also one dollar."

"At first, just saying 'one dollar' didn't work," said Ruan Kaiwen, the company's deputy general manager."But when we added dance moves to the video, it suddenly clicked."

Ruan is part of a new generation taking over family-run factories. His father founded the company in 1995 when, according to Ruan, it didn't even have a proper logo. For years, their fabrics have been supplied to major retailers such as Ikea, Walmart and Costco.

"In the past, we had to go abroad to attend trade shows to find clients. Now, younger buyers get information differently," Ruan said.

He added that short videos haven't directly brought significant revenue, but they help draw attention and drive traffic to the company's website.

"I know it takes time," he added."I just have to be patient."

For others, the link between views and sales is more tangible.

Zhao Ke, who goes by Cody, works in the building materials supply chain, connecting Chinese factories with overseas buyers through short videos. He has built a following of around 1 million on Instagram, Tik-Tok and Facebook, and estimates that 70 percent of his clients now come through these channels.

His method is simple: He films himself standing beside assembly lines of a factory, pointing at a product and asking the factory owner "how much is it", and the owner's immediate price quote — often surprisingly low — becomes the centerpiece of the video, proving that he has direct access to the source.

"Customers can feel that I'm real and trustworthy," Cody said. Some sellers focus on entertainment, but for him, attention isn't the ultimate goal. "The goal is transactions," he said.

Armadillo's experience reflects a growing global curiosity. Back in Italy, he has recently jumped on the livestreaming sales bandwagon. Yet what is still novel for him has long been mainstream elsewhere. In China, this approach is a huge deal.

"You could say livestreaming e-commerce was invented by us," said Ruan, the HongdaTEX deputy general manager. "We should feel confident using these platforms to their full potential."