Despite the fact that most supermarkets and grocery stores are busy arranging their shelves with supplies and snacks for display and sales in welcoming the arrival of Hari Raya celebration, most of them are still bracing themselves for a slower pace in consumer spending.

Awang Maidin bin Abdul Karim, Manager of kris Jaya Sdn Bhd, said in an interview that the store's preparation for Hari Raya this year is a bit low in terms of stocks as compared to last year. Such downturn, he believed, was a result in the change of consumer's shopping habits.

"Apart from the decline in the nation's economy, it seems that local consumers tend to opt to purchase their needs from the neighbouring countries especially with the favourable currency exchange rates which makes it more affordable for the locals to purchase their daily needs," he continued.

"Also, the extension of operating hours for checkpoints along Brunei-Malaysia border has offered more convenience for the locals to spend more time there rather than within Brunei, and this, in a way, has affected us (local stores)."

When asked about their stocks, especially baking ingredients that are needed for avid bakers, he said that they have limited their stocks as they do not want to overstock their products.

He believed that consumers are less likely to purchase from their shop. For this year, he said, they only brought in 300 cartons of butter, one of the basic necessities needed for baking, as compared to 450 cartons last year.

In Brunei, where Kek Tapak Ruda remains a hit for people of all ages and a must have during Raya, and countless bakers tend to stock up on its ingredients, especially Nutella for its filling.

He said that they have also limited their stock for Nutella with only 700 cartons instead of 1,000 cartons last year.

"Sales percentage went down as low as 20 per cent this year's Hari Raya preparation. We have offered low prices for most of our items but sales are still a bit slow," he said.

With Hari Raya coming less than two weeks, grocery stores and supermarkets anticipate higher sales and greater influx of shoppers next week once the government employees' salaries are released.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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