“I plan to acquire 250 public toilets and seek an IPO. Reason: environmental concept of handling excrement, testing waste for medical and health purposes. First-time users get a red packet of 1-10 yuan, for precise traffic diversion. Acquire some in Xinjiang and Zhejiang as part of the Belt and Road initiative; install automatic doors for Industry 4.0; have two beggars sitting at the entrance to represent P2P and crowdfunding concepts. Giving up two urinals in men’s restrooms for women’s use is a concept of major asset restructuring...”
On the Haosou Maps page for Changbai Mountain Scenic Area, reporters observed that as one of the most pressing “needs” for visitors, the nearby toilet finder feature has been elevated to the top screen of the “Haosou Nearby” scenic information section. By clicking it, users can locate nearby restroom locations based on their mobile phone's GPS function—meaning, with Haosou’s big data, no matter where they are, visitors just need to scan a code and click to efficiently and conveniently find restrooms. This is undoubtedly a significant service upgrade from the rapidly evolving Haosou mobile search, which is once again making a great attempt to transform life details through big data and cloud services.
So why is 360 paying such close attention to tourists’ toilet needs? Based on free and secure services, the company has long focused on changing users' lifestyles through technology, meeting their needs in simpler ways to enhance user stickiness. This has been a consistent approach in 360’s development path. Qi Xiangdong, President of 360, said in an interview with reporters: “The mobile internet era doesn’t really need direct access numbers, because needs that can be directly accessed are called popular demands—and users will fulfill them through in-app searches. For example, if you want to find a song, you wouldn’t search for it on a search engine. But no one is going to make a dedicated toilet app. What 360 aims to build is ‘Haosou Nearby’—a platform that meets users’ endless needs. When you provide enough value to users on the internet, they will reward you with a goldmine. Therefore, achieving direct profit isn’t our goal. What I want to do first is to ensure users have a great experience.”
It is precisely because “Haosou Nearby” adheres to the unchanging philosophy of optimizing life and saving time from a genuine user-centric perspective that it offers users not just a search tool, but an ultra-simple lifestyle experience. Since its launch in January 2015, 360’s “Haosou Nearby” has become, within less than half a year, an essential tool for netizens seeking food, ordering takeout, booking hotels, reserving hourly rooms, and watching movies—thanks to its three core standards. In the process of developing Haosou Nearby, 360 Haosou has paid closer attention to users’ everyday needs for searching local information. Leveraging 360’s big data and cloud service systems, it has delivered a one-stop search service more aligned with modern characteristics and user habits. The collaboration with China Tourism Association and China Tourism Attractions Association to launch the “Internet Toilet” service shows that Haosou Nearby’s offerings have gained industry recognition. Going forward, Haosou will continue to build on 360’s internet technology foundation, align with the needs of daily life, and develop further in meeting essential lifestyle demands. A quality life is inseparable from Haosou.