Comment丨 "Ban the sale of minors under 8 years old", let the blind box economy bid farewell to the blind economy

Under the premise of the gradual growth of the market, it is the trend of the times to move towards standardization.

Shanghai has taken a shot at the blind box chaos. On January 12, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Market Supervision formulated and issued the Shanghai Blind Box Business Activity Compliance Guidelines. On the 14th, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Market Supervision and Administration held a press briefing on the "Shanghai Blind Box Business Activity Compliance Guidelines" issued a few days ago. The Guidelines apply to blind box operators within the administrative region of Shanghai Municipality, as well as other operators who sell blind box goods to consumers. It is reported that this "guideline" lasted more than half a year of market research, aiming to draw an industry red line.

In the current consumer sector, buying blind boxes can be a pleasure for many young people and even primary and secondary school students. Blind box consumption has driven the rapid development of the industrial chain, and some blind box brands represented by Bubble Mart have become the darlings of the capital market.

Internet celebrity tide play blind box "Bubble Mart". Image according to IC Photo

But at the same time, in the process of the rapid development of the blind box economy, some industry chaos also appears frequently. Shanghai took the lead in issuing industry guidelines to guide its standardized development, which can be said to be timely.

Judging from the specific provisions, the guidance this time is undoubtedly quite targeted. For example, the "Guidelines" mentioned that goods with strict requirements on sales qualifications, storage and transportation, and conditions of use must not be sold in the form of blind boxes. This means that some of the previous acts of selling live pets as blind boxes are clearly non-compliant, and can effectively avoid related consumer disputes, which is also a risk protection for animal rights.

The Guidelines also require that the price of a single blind box generally does not exceed 200 yuan. Blind box is indeed a kind of market-oriented pricing of goods, but it must be seen that blind box consumption for consumers, itself has the characteristics of information asymmetry, the blind box to adopt the strategy of price capping, the merchants ask for a small price space, the rights and interests of consumers is also a protection.

It is worth mentioning that a large part of the current blind box consumers are minors. The psychological cognition of consumer rights and interests of this part of the group is not very mature and perfect, and the novelty and stimulation characteristics of the blind box are easy to cause them an addiction like the game Krypton gold. Therefore, the "Guidelines" particularly emphasize the protection mechanism for minors, requiring blind box operators not to sell blind boxes to minors under the age of 8, and blind box goods to minors over the age of 8, and should confirm the consent of guardians through different methods such as online and offline. This restrictive requirement can make those underage groups not blindly follow the trend of consumption without moderation, and become the leeks of the business.

It must be pointed out that although the blind box is a blindly opened commodity, this does not mean that consumers do not even have a basic right to know, nor does it mean that blind box consumption can completely become blind consumption.

It is precisely considering the random characteristics of the blind box economy that the "Guidelines" issued by Shanghai also make transparent and open requirements for blind box sales. For example, information such as the type of goods, the rules for drawing boxes, the number of goods to be placed, and the probability of hidden money extraction should be published. The disclosure of this information is conducive to establishing a more transparent consumer environment and protecting consumers' right to know. For consumers, if the type of blind box, the number of delivery, etc. are more transparent, they will also have a bottom in mind before purchasing, and will not spend money uncontrollably in order to draw some hidden money that does not know the probability.

Of course, at present, Shanghai's "Guidelines" are only an industry guideline, it has no mandatory legal effect, but from scratch, it is a kind of progress. On the one hand, it can provide an effective reference for the enforcement of regulatory law enforcement departments and the handling of similar consumer disputes. On the other hand, it will also force merchants to standardize marketing and sales, and will not use the information asymmetry of blind boxes to harvest consumers.

As an emerging consumer product, some of the chaos of the blind box economy is the result of market supervision lagging behind the development of the industry. In the long run, under the premise of the gradual growth of the market, the blind box economy is the trend of the times. Therefore, at present, Shanghai's promulgation of the "Guidelines" is a beginning, the blind box economy has a basis to rely on, no longer blind, consumer rights and interests can be effectively protected.

Red Star News special commentator Xiong Zhi

Edited by Wang Yaotao

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