It doesn’t chirp, purr, or wag its tail; nor does it fetch, cuddle, or respond to its name. In fact, it doesn’t do much of anything besides sit quietly. But for a growing number of young Chinese, that’s exactly the appeal of owning a chongwu shi or “pet rock.”

Inspired by the animated movie “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” where the character Otto treasures a pet rock, young consumers have embraced whimsical versions of their own, often decorated with plastic eyes, hats, and unique personalities.

This year, pet rocks have surged in popularity on Taobao, China’s top e-commerce platform, with sales in August alone rising 246% month over month. The majority of buyers are women, and most born after 1995, according to domestic media reports.

Typically priced at around 20 yuan ($3), most pet rocks are just ordinary pebbles. However, some buyers go the extra mile, collecting stones from parks or roadsides and bathing them with essential oils and moisturizers to keep them shiny. One shop owner reported a turnover of around 20,000 yuan in September, with some popular items already selling over 1,000 units.

On the lifestyle app Xiaohongshu, posts about pet rocks have amassed nearly 3.1 million views, with users sharing photos, seeking creative names, and buying accessories like glasses stickers, beds, and hats. Some have even created “Pet Rock Care Guides.”

The concept of the pet rock isn’t entirely new. It traces back to 1975 when American advertising executive Gary Dahl introduced it as a low-maintenance pet, requiring no feeding, grooming, or training.

Marketed as a gag gift, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon, selling millions and making Dahl a millionaire. Its appeal lay in clever marketing that played on the humor and simplicity of owning a “pet” without any real responsibilities.

Inspired by the “Minions” movie, Ye Zi wanted one of her own. “I found it fascinating and wanted one for myself. But I couldn’t find a single shop online selling them,” she told Sixth Tone.

So, Ye decided to make her own pet stones. And in July 2023, she launched a shop on Taobao, selling more than 1,200 pet rocks, each priced at 28.8 yuan.

The stones are sourced from a manufacturer in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province, who screens them for size before sending them to Ye. Ranging from 2 to 7 centimeters in diameter, Ye cleans the stones, decorates them with plastic eyes, places them in a nest-like bed, and photographs them for sale.

Ye even creates an ID card for each stone, complete with a photo, a name, and an MBTI personality type, which she determines based on the stone’s “expression” after attaching the eyes. “Every stone is unique and is taken off the shelf once it is sold,” Ye said.

Xie Xuan, a 25-year-old teacher from Shaanxi province, dresses her pet stone in handmade clothes and decorates its home seasonally. “It’s like playing house as a child,” Xie told Sixth Tone. “It’s cute, and I don’t have to worry about feeding or cleaning it. It’s emotionally comforting and convenient.”

In a review on Ye’s store, one customer wrote: “My pet stone has the same MBTI as me, which is ISTP, so let’s lie flat together,” referring to the trend of dropping out of the workplace. Another commented, “Finally, I have a pet who can listen to me about high school physics.”

Zhang Zhe, an associate professor of marketing at Fudan University’s School of Management in Shanghai, explained that today’s consumer trends increasingly center on self-perception and emotional satisfaction, fueling the growth of interest-based, therapeutic products. “Pet stones have emerged as a new favorite, especially among young consumers seeking novel experiences,” she said.

Zhang also underscored that Gen Z is particularly drawn to affordable, character-themed designs, such as childhood toys priced between 10 and 30 yuan, making them highly appealing in the direct-to-consumer market.

As the pet stone trend continues to grow, Ye remains confident in their lasting appeal among a dedicated community of enthusiasts. “Even before this trend, there were always people keeping pet stones, and I believe this group will continue to exist,” she said.

Additional reporting: Li Yanshu; editor: Apurva.

(Header image: Visuals from Ye’s rock products, reedited by Sixth Tone)