Every day after dinner, a Shanghai woman surnamed Lu makes her way to Linfen Street where she spends her evenings selling lollipops from a roadside stall.

She does it not because she has no other means of supporting herself, which she does during the day as a clerk at a travel agency. Rather, Lu is one of a growing number of white-collar workers who are earning a second income by setting up shop each night on the streets of Shanghai.

Lu became a nighttime vendor about a year ago, selling small ornaments and garments. However, she later changed to lollipops when she realized they were more profitable. In an average week, she makes more than 500 yuan (US$65).

According to Beijing Youth Daily, there are now so many white-collar workers on Shanghai's streets each night that they have even formed a "roadside stand alliance.”

Established six months ago, the alliance started with just five members. But after promoting itself online with the slogan, "Business will expand from setting up stands on the streets," its membership soon swelled.

Today, it boasts 200 members, and new people are joining daily, the newspaper said.

Although the alliance is not exclusive to white-collar workers, many of its members do work in offices. Others are students from the prestigious Fudan University and the East China University of Engineering, while just 10 percent of members regard being a roadside vendor as their primary source of income.

Most of the members are aged between 20 and 35 and women outnumber men.

Most of the vendors regard roadside vending not just as a way to make extra cash, but rather as a good way to build their experience of running a business, which might benefit them later in life should they decide to set up a more traditional company.

Alliance members regularly chat together online to share their experiences and ideas.

Earlier this year, the Shanghai municipal government introduced its Regulations on Setting Up Stands on the Street in Shanghai, which made it easy for vendors to start up by opening up more streets to nighttime traders.

Lu said the city's urban management personnel were generally friendly toward the vendors.

"They ask them to abide by the regulations and pay special attention to hygiene, but they rarely interfere in people's business or confiscate their products without good reason," she said.

Not everyone is delighted with the growing number of white-collar workers on Shanghai's streets, however.

Some locals have said that the relatively well-off white-collar workers are providing unnecessary and unwanted competition for less-fortunate groups who make their sole income by selling goods on the street.

(China Daily May 18, 2007)