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SINGAPORE: The streets of Geylang are illuminated, but this year’s Hari Raya festivities will be a quiet matter.
Physical bazaars have been put online. And others are adhering to stricter COVID-19 regulations in a context of expanding instances in the community.
This is another blow for corporations like Fotohi Carpet Gallery, which sometimes records higher sales during the Ramadan period.
For more than 20 years, Fotohi Carpet Gallery has joined the annual bazaar near the Tanjong Katong complex, promoting and auctioning carpets at reduced prices.
The strategy, promoting with reduced margins for a higher volume, has paid off in the past.
Owner Reza Fotohi estimates that in 2019, the gallery raised between S$40,000 and S$50,000 a month of fasting.
The company is now suffering from emptying its inventory of Persian carpets.
While the Fotohi Carpet Gallery showroom has resumed operations after Ramadan closed last year, the business continues to move slowly, only 30% of what it used to be.
The company tried to stream live to sell its carpets, but it didn’t do much.
“Carpets still have to be sold in the classic way. The visitor wants to pass, feel the carpet, see the carpet, touch the carpet. Then we ignore the price, the size, the colors,” Mr. Fotohi.
For companies, however, being wonderful online has been a lifesaver.
The All Things Delicious café on Arab Street saw the need to establish a same-day delivery website.
Although non-appointment consumers fell by 80% during Ramadan last year, which was the era of the “breaker,” the company was able to continue online sales.
Falling tourist traffic and catering casualties have weighed on turnover.
Security protocols in the implementation and localization of trusted third-party delivery partners have also posed demanding situations for the company.
But coffee founder Dewi Imelda Wadhwa said things went this year because staff and logistics had been simplified.
Coffee has introduced gift boxes and remedies packages for Ramadan.
Dewi said he also noticed that more and more corporations were celebrating Ramadan.
Last year’s Ramadan lessons are at stake for the fashion e-commerce platform Zalora.
Sales in Zalora’s modest clothing category began to increase as soon as February.
“We usually see the numbers pass at lunchtime or out of hours. But this year, there are many more people at home, so we see that the numbers are quite scattered,” said Shasha Ahmad, leader of the modest clothing category at Zalora Group. .
“We also have our suhoor campaigns taking place between five a. m. and nine a. m. Then we propose reduction codes. So in this era we’re seeing an increase in the number of sales,” he said.
There are also trends.
Online advertising company Criteo said Ramadan’s purchases this year were basically mobile phones and apps.
Criteo also said there was a replacement in what consumers need this season of Ramadan.
During the last seasons of Ramadan, the main product categories were fitness and beauty, electronics, toys, games and household products. In 2021, expansion was basically in two categories: fashion/luxury and retail products.
This is a sign, according to market observers, that consumers are more attentive to their immediate needs, especially given the economic downturn.
To attract consumers, companies want to combine online and offline strategies, Criteo said.
“Brands are encouraged to promote less value and more respect,” said Taranjeet Singh, Criteo’s ceo for Southeast Asia and India.
“Secondly, marketers want to target the right audience, which are the maximum possible to buy in this period.
“Third, give customers what they want with personalized ad campaigns. This is very important in today’s hyperconnected world. Especially when customer behavior has more of a one-on-one delight than a one-on-one delight. “
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