Someone Asked Me:RMB 1 Million in Presales in 3 Days – Should We Follow?

Summary

Recently, many investors have excitedly asked me: "A playground sold early-bird tickets for RMB 29.9 and made RMB 1 million in presales in just 3 days. Should we copy their strategy?" My answer is direct: Be very careful. This is like building a house and adding another floor before the cement has dried — the short-term progress looks impressive, but the foundation is unstable, and it will eventually collapse.

【Industry Insights】 Click the video. Katie will explain in 2 minutes why you should not follow the USD 29.9 early-bird ticket presale that made RMB1 million.

Recently, an investor asked Katie whether he should follow another playground's strategy of selling early-bird tickets for RMB 29.9, which brought in RMB 1 million in presales in 3 days.

He knows Katie has been in this industry for many years and wanted an honest answer.

Her response was: Please be very careful.

 

01. Low-Price Presales: Are They Bringing "Traffic" or "Retention"?

Let's do the math:

RMB29.9 × 33,000 visits = RMB 1 million in sales. Sounds great. But the question is: Are these 33,000 visitors truly your core customers?

Katie has tracked many cases of low-price presales and found a consistent pattern:

More than 80% of the customers attracted by ultra-low prices are price-sensitive.

They are extremely sensitive to price but not sensitive to experience — or rather, their expectation of a "low price" far outweighs their recognition of "quality."

The result: The venue becomes overloaded as soon as it opens — safety risks surge, hygiene standards drop, and service quality suffers. In the first month, the team is overwhelmed handling complaints. By the third month, they are still dealing with after-sales issues.The golden time that should have been used to refine service standards and establish operational systems is instead wasted on damage control. Even more critically, once the "cheap" label is attached, it becomes extremely difficult to raise prices or attract high-end members in the future.

 

02. The Playground Business Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Katie often uses this analogy with investors:

Running a playground is like growing a tree. Do you want it to be thriving in three years, or blooming in three months and then withering?

The logic behind low-price presales is a "sprint mindset" — chasing short-term metrics while sacrificing the brand's long-term vitality. The essence of the playground business is community, repeat visits, and word of mouth. When a family brings their child to play, if the experience is good, they will come ten times, twenty times, and will also recommend it to neighbors and friends.

This is the healthiest way for a playground to grow: natural word-of-mouth spread, trust built through service, and barriers formed through branding. Not forcing traffic with low prices, only to watch that traffic come and go, leaving behind a mess.

 

03. Pokiddo's Approach: Standardization from Day One, Not a Peak on Day One

At Pokiddo, there are two firm rules:

First, presales are acceptable, but not at the expense of the brand.

Pokiddo's presales are targeted at seed members — local families who truly recognize their philosophy and want to grow together with their children. The pricing is reasonable, showing sincerity. Visitor flow is strictly controlled so every family has a safe and happy experience.

This is not a traffic sprint. It is the starting point of word-of-mouth.

Second, standardization from day one, not a peak on day one.

From the very first day of opening, Pokiddo establishes standards — how to conduct safety inspections, how to clean hard-to-reach areas, what service language to use, how to handle member complaints. These fundamentals must be ingrained in the team's muscle memory from the beginning.

Pokiddo serves more than 60 stores globally. The ones that last and thrive did not succeed by having a strong opening day. They succeeded by staying strong every day.

 

04. The True Moat Is Customers Willing to Speak Up for You

Let's return to the original question: Why advise not to envy the USD 1 million in presales in 3 days?

Because the true moat is never price. It is customers willing to speak up for you.

At your playground —

• When a child falls, a staff member rushes over to comfort them.

• When a parent casually mentions that their child is afraid of heights, a coach proactively encourages the child to try climbing on their next visit.

• When a child receives a handwritten card from the store manager on their birthday.

These moments are why customers are willing to refer you to others.

And those moments cannot be bought with a USD 29.9 ticket.

Conclusion

Business is a marathon, not a sprint.

Those who run fast may not run far. But those who run steadily will surely reach the finish line.

If you are also planning your own playground project, feel free to message Katie for the Pokiddo Healthy Growth Model. She will share how Pokiddo's 60+ global stores have become the top choice for local families through steady operations. After all, the competition is not about who has the biggest crowd on opening day, but who can still make parents feel confident bringing their children three or five years later.

Follow to learn more about the "long-termism" approach to indoor playground operations.

 

Choose Pokiddo: Your Key to a Profitable Play Project

Adhering to the commitment of "Striving for Excellence, and More Importantly, Striving for Profitability," Pokiddo delivers genuine indoor playground turnkey solutions. The seamlessly integrated service process is built on the principle that "In Pokiddo, we not only master production, but also operations, and most importantly — profitability."

 

Pokiddo's Turnkey Service Process

• Consultation & Feasibility Analysis: Market research, competitor analysis, financial modeling.

• Creative & Engineering Design: Thematic concept development, 3D layout, detailed construction drawings.

• Production & Global Logistics: Standardized lean manufacturing in Pokiddo's own indoor playground equipment factory, complemented by comprehensive logistics management. Installation & Opening Support: Dispatching certified engineers for on-site installation guidance and operator training.

•  Ongoing Operations & Optimization: Long-term operational data monitoring consultation and activity update support to maintain market competitiveness.

  
  

Choosing Pokiddo means selecting a long-term partner dedicated to your business success.

 

Ready to Create Your Profitable Play Destination?

Join Pokiddo, Co-create a Profitable Future

Pokiddo is your trusted commercial indoor playground supplier and professional indoor playground constructor. From compact, customized indoor play systems to large-scale entertainment complexes, Pokiddo provides not only equipment but also a proven path to profitability.

 

Learn more about success stories and get your customized solution:

• Pokiddo Global Project Portfolio

•  How to Plan Your First Profitable Indoor Playground?

 

In Pokiddo, we not only master production, but also operations, and most importantly — profitability.

 

Pokiddo® Vision

To become the world's most beloved sports and play brand.

To build an energetic and thriving organization.

To intelligently create 100 branded stores and serve 1 million+ player members by 2029.

Pokiddo® Mission

Play sports, start at Pokiddo. Empower children with more vitality!

Pokiddo® Values

• Sincere and Reliable: Be sincere in character, reliable in actions; solve customer pain points and create customer value.

• Teamwork: Discuss thoroughly, execute decisively, be good at collaboration, and leverage team strength to solve problems.

• Courageous and Responsible: Take responsibility for your actions, be consistent in words and deeds, continuously challenge difficulties, and break through personal limits.

• Positive and Optimistic: Believe in the power of belief; identify with company culture; influence others with positive energy.

• Eager to Learn: Be good at summarizing and improving; learn from people and organizations that achieve excellent results, and continuously innovate and grow based on that learning.

• Happy and Efficient: Manage your energy, be your own master, maintain happiness and passion; use tools effectively, be results-oriented.

• Safety First: Deeply understand the importance of safety, influence colleagues to enhance safety awareness, and ensure the safety of products and operations.

Contact:

Katie Zhang

Phone: +86 189 6899 6888

Address:

No. 55 Chengye Road, Qiaoxia Town, Yongjia County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China