Chee Shing (right) and Kiro showing the Chinese New Year goodies sold at 73 Mini Market.
KOTA KINABALU: Sales are inevitably slower for Chinese New Year (CNY) goods this year as the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the economy and people’s livelihoods.
Kiro Chew, co-owner of 73 Mini Market at Bornion Centre, said business had dipped at least 50 percent for Chinese New Year goods as people were tight on money and going out less due to Covid-19.
Anticipating the drop in demand, he said the shop had acquired 30 percent less supply of Chinese New Year items this year.
Chinese New Year 2021 falls on February 12, which is less than two weeks away.
This time last year, Kiro said the festive atmosphere was all around as the mini market would set up tents at the parking spaces selling Chinese New Year goodies such as Mandarin oranges, auspicious plants, biscuits, nian gao (sticky cake) and snacks for 24 hours daily for a period of two weeks before the Lunar New Year.
This year, he said the shop had done away with the tents because night market is not allowed under the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Covid-19.
“Now we close at 6pm at the latest because there are less customers during afternoon and nighttime.
“Perhaps we will stay open until 7pm or 8pm a few days before Chinese New Year,” he said when interviewed today.
Kiro said the sale of Chinese New Year goods had dropped by at least half the volume compared to the year before and the mini market also ordered less supply as well.
“In the past, we would order more than 100 cartons of Mandarin oranges over the span of two weeks.
“This year, we have ordered 50 cartons and whether we would order more depends on the sales.”
He added regular customers of the shop purchased almost the same amount of Chinese New Year goods, but others had bought less.
“There are also customers who buy the Chinese New Year goodies as gifts albeit in less quantity.”
Although business is slow, Kiro and his father, Chew Chee Shing, stressed that what mattered most now was good health.
CKS Supermarket managing director Brett Chua also said Chinese New Year goods were slow-moving this year compared to the year before.
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