Demand for joy, fun spawns niche biz online

E-shops ride recovery to deliver creative products, services to young consumers

There is mind candy in town going for a song, growing in popularity — and promising to make the business of self-improvement books, motivational audios and videos, pep talks, counseling sessions, confidence-building events ... appear passe.

Innovative digitalization is redefining how things that can generate emotional comfort get monetized, spawning a booming new business segment.

For just 0.5 yuan ($0.07) or even less, consumers in China can now snap up "Einstein's Brain" on e-commerce platforms like Taobao, which is advertised to boost one's intelligence after the purchase.