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Chinese New Year goodies are just a click away

SINGAPORE — Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and if you’re a seasoned festive shopper, your larder is probably already bursting with typical treats such as cookies, love letters and bak kwa (barbeque meat slices).

SINGAPORE — Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and if you’re a seasoned festive shopper, your larder is probably already bursting with typical treats such as cookies, love letters and bak kwa (barbeque meat slices).

But if you are the sort who’d rather not join in the perennial rush for these popular items, or simply cannot imagine braving the heat for hours in the queue for popular brands like Lim Chee Guan bak kwa, don’t worry. Your solution is just a click away.

With the trend of online shopping reaching new heights, and as physical retailers complain of dropping sales, it seems natural that these festive supplies are now readily available on the Internet.

Last week, stall owners at the annual Festive Street Bazaar in Chinatown were reported to be facing declining sales because of the wet weather and high rentals.

And with crowds thinning, online platforms are leveraging on this trend, offering an easy fix for executives who prefer to browse the stores in the comfort of their homes.

STOCK UP IN FIVE MINUTES

Take MerryMaker, a new site that launched last December. The marketplace site curates “unique experiences and gifts to help you create unforgettable celebrations”.

A couple of weeks ago, it rolled out its Chinese New Year treats. Items included Kim Joo Guan’s popular bak kwa (S$29 for 500g); yuan bao pineapple tarts (S$29.80) and assorted cookies (S$30) from Bakerzin; honeyed cereal crisps (S$13), cashew nut cookies (S$16), kueh lapis cake (S$12) and pineapple tarts (S$15) from Kim Choo @ East Coast; kueh bahulu (S$5), pandan suji cookies (S$20), spicy shrimp rolls (S$12) and nonya kueh bangkit (S$16) from Rainbow Lapis @ Chinatown; and soft-baked cookies from Dough Empire (S$23). And if you’re looking for a gift to impress, assorted CNY hampers from Noel Gifts are also available.

Shopping for Chinese New Year goodies can be time-consuming, noted MerryMaker’s co-founder Lu Shu Hui, who added that they cater to busy working professionals “who need a convenient and easy way to plan amazing celebrations and find the perfect gift for their loved ones”.

“We have created an easy way for people to find hundreds of unique gifts and experiences to celebrate special occasions like Chinese New Year, birthdays and more. Being able to shop a wide range of Chinese New Year goodies online and have them delivered to your doorstep is more convenient for busy working professionals. They can stock their house with delicious goodies for the festive season in five minutes,” she said.

Lu revealed that sales on their site is “growing”, and their bak kwa is “almost sold out”.

She explained that with MerryMaker, quality is assured as the range includes tried and tested brands, so shoppers do not need to spend time trying out several just to decide which are good. “We carefully select our vendors after taking the time to understand their products and services. We make sure the vendors are a right fit for our customers,” she noted. “Customers can simply order and have delicious goodies delivered to their door step.”

NOT SO HARD TO FIND

Meanwhile, online shopping site Rakuten Singapore started its Chinese New Year campaign early this month and is seeing sales picking up for food and beverage, fashion and household cleaning items.

Its deputy general manager Roy Wee said they tend to focus on food and beverage products “that stand out either for their quality, or are difficult to find in Singapore, especially in a physical shop”. He cited, as an example, their Hiroshima sashimi-grade oysters, which are larger in size than typical oysters.

He also noted that many items are air-flown directly from the country of origin, such as the traditional Castella Japanese cakes from Shizuoka, which serve as an alternative to butter cakes traditionally bought during the Chinese New Year, as well as mikan (Japanese orange) juice and Japanese confectioneries. To ensure quality, interested merchants also undergo a screening process.

“(Online shopping) allows customers to browse and compare products more easily, said Wee. “It is also more cost effective (due to rebates and loyalty programmes).”

GOOD DELIVERY

Qoo10 is another platform that began offering Chinese New Year goodies after realising “there was a seasonal demand for such products, even (as early as) mid-December”, said its spokesman, noting that sales for such products can increase by 100 to 200 per cent during the pre-CNY period.

Notable items include kimchi pork bak kwa from New Peng Hiang, handmade New Year goodies from Chilli Padi Nonya Restaurant, Fragrance Foodstuff’s braised pork, yu sheng from Shi Fu Ge, kueh lapis and cookies from Yahweh Delicacies and New Moon Australia’s abalone.

“Shopping (at) e-marketplaces for Chinese New Year goodies allows you to browse through a large catalogue of festive goods quickly and have them delivered right to your doorstep at your preferred time,” he affirmed, pointing out that some festive necessities such as frozen seafood, steamboat delights, canned abalone, rice, snacks and beverages are heavy and bulky as well, so home delivery serves as a great convenience.

Besides having a greater variety of options than physical shops, customers can also enjoy bundle deals and promos, he said. An example would be Qoo10’s festive online sale, which runs until Sunday. Called Qoo10 CNY Food Expo 2016, customers enjoy discounts of up to 85 per cent on popular treats. More than 40 established merchants are participating, including Fragrance Foods, Big Box, Kuriya Japanese Market, CP Foods, Dodo, CS Tay, AllBig, Saybons, Emperor Brand and New Moon.

To cater to customers who may not wish to pay for shipping fees or wait for delivery, the marketplace also allows merchants to offer a “click and collect” option. “While it’s exciting to bask in the festive atmosphere, it can also be a hassle dealing with crowds, snaking queues and lugging purchases home, all in all not a great shopping experience (compared to getting stuff online),” added the spokesman.

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