KUCHING: Small businesses across the city are thriving during Chinese New Year (CNY) and upcoming festive periods as customers eagerly seek unique and classic treats to share with loved ones.
For many, the festive season is the busiest and most rewarding time of the year as products fly off shelves and small businesses thrive on soaring demand and creativity.
From intricately designed cookies to unique desserts, local small businesses are seeing a surge in demand as festive seasons bring gift-giving and family celebrations.
Tiffany Ku and Adrian Teo, founders of Meowgic Oven, said their approach is to create desserts that go beyond trends.
“For us, it’s about making “extraordinary” desserts that people don’t easily find elsewhere especially during festive seasons.
“Our Tuak Colada and Triple Cheese have always been customer favourites. This year, our new Chinese New Year product, Apple Su, has quickly become one of the most loved items too.
“Many customers are excited because it’s not something you commonly see during CNY, so it feels fresh and unique,” said Ku to Sarawak Tribune.
She added that since the introduction of Apple Su, the festive season has been much better compared to previous years, as it is quite rare during CNY.
“The customers are very curious and supportive and that really boosted our sales compared to previous years,” she added.
She also noticed a shift in buying patterns during the peak season, with customers tending to purchase larger quantities for gifting or when visiting family and friends.
“Many customers order six boxes of Apple Su or even more at one time. Festive-friendly desserts are clearly preferred during this period.
“Hence, my biggest challenge is definitely the workload. Apple Su is very labour-intensive and during peak season, everything becomes more rushed and tiring,” she said.
She added that the labour costs increase and profit margins are lower than some of our other cakes but it was worth it because customers love the novelty
As Apple Su is the most in-demand product this season, securing ingredients like butter and apples has become a challenge as demand rises across the baking industry.
“Sometimes we have to visit multiple suppliers just to get enough ingredients. It’s stressful, but part of peak-season life,” Ku added.
Fans and customers can also check out Meowgic Oven for more festive treats and baked goods on https://www.instagram.com/meowgic.oven?igsh=ZG92NXZndnZiNDdl.
Meanwhile, PICK.A.COOKIES part-time worker Aisyah said the business has been experiencing strong demand for its handmade cookies and festive hampers.
“Our pineapple tarts are extremely popular, especially for the Year of the Horse. They’re crispy, creamy and sometimes have a hint of peach. They’re our best-seller.
“And it is currently out of stock due to overwhelming demand,” she said.
The tart, known for its crispy texture and rich, buttery taste, is priced between RM48 and RM50 per jar, depending on the number of pieces in each jar.
For CNY specials, PICK.A.COOKIES features cookies in festive designs: Orange (kam orange flavour), Horse (almond oat), Pineapple (almond), Almond Puff (crunchy almonds), Lantern Gold (custard) and Carrot (with cornflakes flavour).
According to Aisyah, festive periods like CNY and Hari Raya typically lead to repeated restocking as customers purchase cookies for gifting and celebrations.
“These tarts and cookies are always in high demand during festive seasons, so we keep restocking.
“We work as a team, and for the Year of the Horse design, we continued production nonstop. Now, we also provide hampers, which are perfect gifts during CNY,” she said.
In addition to serving walk-in customers at their booth, which is located at The Spring for the entire festive season, PICK.A.COOKIES also operates online and ships to Peninsular Malaysia, boosting overall demand.
She added that the name PICK.A.COOKIES reflects the brand’s concept and customers can pick any cookies they like, based on their favourite flavours, allowing for lots of variety.
The pricing is designed to match this flexibility whereby a mix of three flavours in one jar costs RM28, two jars in a combo is RM55 and three jars with nine flavours is RM82.
Customers can also add a festive gift box for RM8 and choose their preferred flavours depending on budget.
For example, three jars with icing cookies cost about RM130, one jar is RM40 to RM50 and a jar of carrot cookies is RM70.
For those interested in PICK.A.COOKIES products, including their festive cookies and hampers, you can view and order online through to phone number in their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/pick.a.cookies?igsh=MXZsampvbXkyMG15ag==
A festive season is not complete without an assortment of snacks to munch on while talking and interacting with family and friends.
Kedey Pak Lee part-time worker Janice Lai Xin Yan said the booth has seen a surge in demand during CNY and other upcoming festive periods.
“Our most popular items are seaweed crackers, rice crackers and keropok udang, sold in 100g packs for RM12.
“During festive seasons, customers tend to purchase larger quantities to share with family and friends, which keeps sales high.
“Hence, to me the sales are really good, especially during the eve of CNY and upcoming Hari Raya and the next couple of days are going to be super busy,” she said.
Other favourites include freeze-dried strawberries, which are sold in 100g packs for RM14.
“They’re a perfect mix of sweet and slightly sour, and kids especially love them. They sell out so fast that we sometimes have to wait for restock,” she added.
She added that the assortment of snacks, with around 40 different types available, encourages customers to try multiple items.
“People love being able to sample a variety while enjoying festive conversations with family and friends.
“The high demand for popular items like keropok, crackers and freeze-dried fruits is interconnected with the festive gatherings where sharing snacks is part of the tradition,” she added.
