# Rent-a-Friend Programs Client Partners Provide All Users Friendly Company for a Price By Andrew Sztein | Published 2013-01-30 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rentafriend-programs References: [kotaku](http://kotaku.com/5974063/when-you-can-rent-friends-you-are-never-forever-alone) & [rentafriend](http://rentafriend.com/) Making new friends isn’t easy, especially if you find yourself in a [new city or country](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/travel-bff-matchmaker). Whether in Japan or North America or elsewhere in the world, those who need some company can [rent a friend](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rentahuman) for a nominal fee. If the idea of hiring someone to [stand in line for you](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/peertopeer-rental), be a wing man at a pub, go to the movies with, cook or eat dinner with, go for a bike ride, or just hang out sounds sketchy to you, then this service may not be the right fit. On the other hand, lonely people in new places sometimes need a little head start in getting their social circle in motion. One user of the Client Partners service in Japan took two girls to a club for some dancing, and is quoted as saying “There’s a feeling of security when you are accepted unconditionally.” No comment on the fact that money changing hands is a condition. The service in Japan is actually quite popular, especially because it’s very hard to meet people, especially outside of a corporate setting. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.1/10 - Popularity: 10% | Activity: 15% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Youth](https://www.trendhunter.com/youth) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Rent-a-friend Services:** Opportunities to expand rent-a-friend services beyond Japan and North America. - **Socialization:** Development of innovative approaches to socializing beyond the traditional methods. - **Sharing Economy:** Exploring the potential of rent-a-friend programs as a sharing economy market. ### Where This Applies - **Hospitality:** Incorporating rent-a-friend services into hotel amenities for busy travelers who want social company. - **Event Planning:** Rent-a-friend services can be used to facilitate socialization at events for attendees by creating scheduled activities. - **Mental Health:** Rent-a-friend services could help alleviate loneliness and social isolation, providing mental health benefits. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Companionship-Focused Startups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/papa-pals.md) - [Counter-Loneliness Social Spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/friendship-corner.md) - [Friend-Finding Virtual Hangouts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/strangely.md) - [Senior Rental Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rent-elderly-people.md) - [Standalone Friend-Finding Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bumble-for-friends.md) - [Couple Friendship-Focused Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/doubles-social.md) - [AI Social Companions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/future-match.md) - [Smart Wearable Companions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wearable-device1.md) - [AI-to-Human Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rentahuman.md)