Traders see sluggish sales of CNY treats
Published on: Thursday, February 04, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Chinese New Year is just few days away, and for seasoned shoppers, the kitchen cabinets may already be filled with typical treats such as cookies, cakes and bak kwa by now.But this does not seem to be entirely the case, as traders in the markets here claimed it is unusually quiet this year. The sales of traditional delicacies like the Nian Gao had also taken a dip due to national economic uncertainties.
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A hawker in Lido said there seemed to be fewer customers buying the glutinous rice cakes that are often being supplied by its baker in Papar. "Probably people are keeping a tight purse this year. I had the Nian Gao for two days now but barely anyone bought it," said Alex Chung, pointing to a stack of Nian Gao of various sizes in front of his spread of products. "Perhaps this is also the reason why the baker has retained its prices although prices of some ingredients have risen lately," he pointed out. The Lido market currently sources all its Nian Gao from a single supplier in Papar.
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They were selling the cakes from RM5 to RM50 depending on the sizes. A shopper also said traditional delicacies like the Nian Gao also faced another challenge as Nian Gao does not appeal to the younger generation.
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Lido Chinese Kapitan Simon Tsen said they are being slowly forgotten, and the Chinese by large only buy the cake as gifts or for prayers. "Young people like chips and ready-made cookies more," said Tsen. "They are much easier. You don't waste time preparing it," he said. Preparation of Nian Gao could take up for hours, and according to a young hawker Calvin Chia, 33, people no longer want to tire themselves with complicated work. Chia who sold ready-made cookies said a jar of cookies may cost customers RM20 but it goes a long way with the guests. Bak kwa or roasted pork strips is also among those affected. According to a bak kwa stall operator at Segama, there should be more crowds around this time around. "But look at us, I'm sitting here watching my Korean DVDs," said Shirley Yong as she gazed at her colleague. "Last year it wasn't this bad. Or perhaps, the buyers may do last minute shopping," she added.However, this wasn't the case to another bak kwa seller next door. Michelle Tan said her business had been good, thanks to the stream of Chinese tourists walking along the Segama sidewalks who would stop by and purchase from her. "Probably, we also have a good location," she said. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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