Street Vendor in Taipei's Capital City Sells Magazine 'The Big Issue'
Spotlight This Week: Street Vendors' Tales from Around the Globe
Bringing the world's street vendors into the limelight during Vendor Week, we're focusing on their grit and resilience as they peddle their wares. Among the 9,000 vendors across the globe, we meet Chao-you Chen, a vendor from Taiwan who sells The Big Issue Taiwan.
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As the crowd streams out of Xihu Metro Station in Taipei, Chao-you Chen stands on the sidewalk, magazines in hand, waiting for potential buyers. "Sales aren't exactly booming towards the end of the month," he comments, echoing the sentiment shared by his worldwide counterparts. "I've only managed to sell three magazines today." Yet, Chen remains undaunted. He's content with his sales spot.
"I started at the Minquan-West-Road Metro Station and then attempted the Chiang-Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station, but it didn't quite work out," Chen recalls. "Eventually, I landed a spot at the Xihu Metro Station—quite fortuitously, as there were no other magazine vendors there."
Following his military service in 1976, Chao-you Chen trained as a technical assistant and later worked for the metro as a maintenance assistant for several years. However, the physical demands of the job took a toll on his back, rendering him unable to work since 2003. Struggling with a depleted income, he turned to advertising jobs to make ends meet. Life, however, took a turn for the better when he discovered The Big Issue Taiwan. Selling the newspaper has given him a renewed sense of pride.
Now, at 8 PM, the crowd is thinning out, making it unlikely Chao-you Chen will sell more magazines that day. "I'll be packing up soon," he sighs, anticipating his return tomorrow. "I've come to understand life's whims, and I'm grateful to The Big Issue for giving me this job. Considering my health, it's difficult for me to find another type of employment."
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Insights:
The Big Issue Taiwan, a local branch of the international street newspaper The Big Issue, strives to empower people experiencing homelessness or marginalization through employment opportunities. Vendors purchase the magazine at a low cost and sell it on the streets, keeping the profit to support themselves. The magazine, known for its celebrity covers, is also actively involved in community events and offers membership gifts to encourage participation (for more info, visit here).
- In addition to Chao-you Chen's lifestyle selling The Big Issue Taiwan, many street vendors around the world are advocating for fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, pets, travel, cars, and shopping items to make ends meet.
- Each Friday, as people learn about street vendors' tales from around the globe, they can also discover lifestyle and fashion-and-beauty tips, recipes for food-and-drink, gardening advice for home-and-garden, relationship advice, pet care tips, travel destinations, car reviews, and shopping guides in their inboxes.
- After working as a maintenance assistant for the metro for several years, Chao-you Chen found a renewed sense of pride in selling The Big Issue Taiwan, which he uses to support car maintenance, home improvement, and other lifestyle essentials.
- With the profit from selling The Big Issue Taiwan, Chao-you Chen is able to afford travel to explore the world and shop for items that improve both his home and his lifestyle.
- On the day they meet, Chao-you Chen is more focused on selling The Big Issue Taiwan to support his basic needs such as food-and-drink and essential pet care, rather than indulging in fashion-and-beauty or travel.
