As businesses across the country reel from the impact of the global financial crisis, at least one player in the service sector seems to be on a firm footing - pampering the tired tootsies and hardened heels of thousands of clients.

"My pedicure salons help people cope with the pressures of modern life, which have become even more intense for many with the onslaught of the financial crisis," said Lu Qin, a deputy to the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress, who runs a chain of 52 salons across the nation.

Despite the economic downturn, Lu's chain of pedicure salons is continuing to do brisk business, with each outlet servicing up to 300 pairs of feet a day, many of whose owners also use their visits to let off steam about the difficult economic climate, she said.