IPOH: Miniature soft toys of the ox adorned with colourful floral designs are already on sale ahead of Chinese New Year.
With the Year of the Ox less than a month away, a wholesale shop in Pasir Puteh near here is selling various decorative items such as piggy banks, danglers and red packets with the motif of the animal.
The shop owner, Tan Geok Leng, 50, said in contrast to the normal ox plush toys in red and yellow, the ones with the Chinese motif clothing turned out to be very popular, especially with online buyers.
The toys come with a rubber suction disc that allows buyers to hang them on a glass surface.
“This year, due to the ban on interstate travel, there are few walk-in customers. We have resorted to selling our products online for the first time.
“All these years, besides locals, we used to get outstation customers as well as those from Singapore buying our decorations, ” she said at her shop yesterday.
Besides the soft toys, gold-coloured coin boxes with the ox design are also popular.
However, with the movement control order, people are not buying as many decorations as before.
“With the probability of the travel ban extending past Chinese New Year and large-scale gatherings disallowed, people find it pointless to decorate their homes excessively.
“We are worried as sales is not as great compared to the previous years, and Chinese New Year is just around the corner, ” said Tan.
A customer, technician Keith Chiang, 30, said he planned to purchase ox-themed red packets and LED lights.
“Since my family will not be having a gathering among friends and relatives, we are keeping the decorations simple this time just to ensure tradition is followed.
“Probably, dinners will be among immediate family members only, and there is no point wasting money on so many decorations, ” he said.
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