Festive hues: People shopping for Chinese New Year decorations at Paradigm Mall in Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
CHINESE New Year has always been a busy time for businesses in Johor Baru catering to the celebration.
However, in the past two years, many experienced a significant drop in visitors due to Covid-19 restrictions as well as border closure with the island republic.
However, business has picked up since restrictions were lifted with some entrepreneurs reporting better pre-festive sales compared to pre-pandemic times.
Crowds have been visiting shopping centres and standalone shops selling Chinese New Year paraphernalia and goodies in recent weeks while some operators have experienced a spike in business since early December.
Cherry blossoms in Paradigm Mall, Johor Baru, are luring shoppers to capture the moment on their mobile phones. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
Business owners who spoke to StarMetro expressed relief that customers were shopping once again, adding that the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions was the main reason for improvement in sales.
They said many were excited to celebrate the lunar new year as they were not able to meet loved ones or host gatherings for the last two years.
Loo: Orders for hampers have doubled this year compared to last year, and is slightly more than 2019.
Hamper store owner Loo Chok Nan, 61, said the number of orders he received this year was twice that of last year, and slightly more than in 2019.
“Orders began trickling in even before Christmas and I started delivering hampers at the end of December.
“The peak was in the first and second week of January as I was receiving more than a thousand orders in a period of two to three days.
“We even sold out some of our top selling hampers last week. I am expecting orders to increase in the last few days before Chinese New Year,” he said adding that although his shop was allowed to remain open last year, there were very few customers as many were afraid to go out to public places during the pandemic.
“This year, Singaporean customers are returning to Johor Baru, and they have definitely helped boost sales,” he said, adding that more than half of his customers were Singaporeans.
Tan: Close to 90,000 hampers of all sizes were sold in one month.
Salesperson Lucy Tan, 23, who is in charge of a stall selling hampers in a Johor Baru mall, has sold close to 90,000 hampers in under a month.
“The stall was set up since Dec 31 and since then, we have been getting good sales almost every day, especially on weekends.
“In fact, we are in the process of restocking hampers from our warehouse,” she said.
Tan added that companies were also buying hampers as gifts for business partners and staff.
“This is a huge contrast to last year when sales was about 50% less compared to this year,” she said.
Liew is happy to see many customers dropping by her stall.May Liew, 25, who sells Chinese New Year decorations, is happy to see customers stopping at her stall at a shopping centre in Johor Baru.
“My family and I just started the business this year and we didn’t know what to expect.
“I thought the rising cost of living might keep people from spending on decorations but this is not the case as we are enjoying brisk business,” said Liew.
Bunny-shaped lunar new year decorations in conjunction with the Year of the Rabbit, she said, were selling like hot cakes.
Biscuit seller Kow Teck Phing, 57, is happy to see a 20% increase in orders compared to last year.
Kow says he is seeing a 20% increase in sales this year compared to last year.
“Last year, most Singaporeans, who could not cross the border, ordered biscuits from Malaysian companies that were able to deliver to their homes.
“Now that the border has reopened, they can come to Johor Baru and place their orders. The return of Singaporean shoppers is helping push sales as many locals are opting to make their own biscuits to cut cost due to the rising cost of living.
“Despite the increase in the price of ingredients, I am maintaining my prices so people do not have to fork out too much,” said Kow, who runs a home-based business and gets orders online through phone calls or from his regular customers.
Phua Kai Hoo, 36, who runs three restaurants in Johor Baru and Kulai, is expecting a full house on the eve of Chinese New Year as almost all of the tables at his restaurants have been reserved.
“Customers made their bookings early this Chinese New Year. More than half of the tables were booked in the first week of January.
Phua: says almost all of the tables at his restaurants are fully booked.
“This is a significant improvement compared to last year as not even half of the tables were filled, not even on the eve of Chinese New Year,” he said.
He said Chinese New Year was an important time for restaurants as many families were keen to hold reunion dinners.
“Chinese New Year eve and the first three days are the busiest. Apart from the reunion dinner, many also take this opportunity to gather with friends and colleagues.
“This has always been the situation but things changed drastically during the Covid-19 pandemic. I am glad that everything has returned to how it was before Covid-19 hit us,” he said.
John Ang, a director of a seafood restaurant in Johor Baru, said the bookings he has received so far were double that of last year’s figure.
“The reopening of the border is helping spur business and allowing families to be reunited.
“There are many Johoreans working in Singapore who were unable to make their way home last year,” he said.
“There were fewer people at each table last Chinese New Year but I am sure it will be very different this year.
Teo: Hotels have been receiving room and restaurant bookings for lunar new year from as early as December.
“After two years of muted celebrations, I am sure many are excited to go all out to celebrate Chinese New Year,” said the 52-year-old.
Malaysian Association of Hotels Johor chapter chairman Ivan Teo said hotels were also doing well this festive season with some receiving bookings as early as December.
“There is a significant increase in occupancy rate for most hotels this Chinese New Year.
“Apart from rooms, hotel restaurants are also being booked up by customers from all over the country and Singapore,” he said.
“I believe that hotels will do even better compared to pre-pandemic times this lunar new year as many people have been waiting for this day to come,” he added.
South Johor Mobile Small Traders Association chairman Datuk Yow Boon Choon said hawkers and petty traders, too, had been enjoying brisk business since early January.
“The rising cost of living has affected businesses a little but nevertheless, most traders can see an increase in customers in comparison to last year.
“It has helped traders recover from the impact of Covid-19 and I hope things continue to improve,” he said.
