When singles mingle, cash registers jingle

Dating apps rely on advanced technologies like big data and cloud computing to analyse behaviour of their millions of users.

Some 200 million Chinese, or 14% of China's population, equivalent to the entire nation of Brazil, are single, and, well, ready to mingle, representing a huge market for certain products and services such as online dating apps and matchmaking bureaus.

Call it the Singles Economy, if you will. Such a term would not be a misnomer – the market's estimated size is 4bil yuan (RM2.4bil) already, encompassing not just dating apps but matchmakers, wedding services, singles-oriented fashion, jewellery, gifts, love toys, so on, according to industry insiders.