Massive shot in the arm for retailers

Fun time: There is also a place for children to do some activities at Sunway Pyramid in Petaling Jaya. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

PETALING JAYA: As 2023 heads into the final stretch and with Christmas just around the corner, retailers in the food and beverage, fashion and beauty segments are seeing an uptick.

They said some customers had even begun shopping for the Chinese New Year celebration, which is still about two months away.

Given the surge in sales and foot traffic, these businesses said they are more than ready to cope with the crowds and are taking the necessary health precautions.

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They also said their manpower had been prioritised to handle the throng of customers while staff would be wearing face masks in view of the rise in Covid-19 cases over the past few weeks.

However, Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA) president Datuk Andrew Lim said while some retailers could expect a positive trend during the festive season, others might experience the opposite.

“It can vary from situation to situation. Retailers in urban areas may experience a 10% increase in sales compared with those in semi-urban or rural areas,” he said when interviewed.

Lim also said Melaka and Johor retailers were seeing an increase in sales in light of a higher number of Singaporeans travelling there.

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He added that the MRA was hopeful for sales to grow even more in the lead-up to Chinese New Year.

On the 30-day visa-free travel for visitors from China and India that took effect on Dec 1, Lim said this would boost consumer activity in the coming months.

“The question is how soon the travellers will start coming,” he said.

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur chief executive officer Datuk Joyce Yap said 2023 proved to be a dynamic year, especially approaching December.

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She said Pavilion had seen a rise in both foot traffic and sales, registering a 10-15% increase compared to December last year.

There is also strong anticipation of a sales surge in the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year.

“Demand is notably pronounced in the food and beverage sector and high-end sales, particularly fashion and jewellery, with a special emphasis on gold and timepieces.

“Consumers are showing a discernible shift in mindset towards quality, limited edition items and immediate gratification.

“High-end consumers are also expressing a preference for products that not only offer good value but also attentive services,” she added.

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Yap said manpower had been prioritised to manage an expected increase in footfall during the peak season.

Ground staff would be deployed to assist visitors while collaborating with retailers to streamline operations, she added.

As for Covid-19 concerns, Yap said Pavilion was taking strict hygiene practices with frequent sanitisation at common areas such as toilets, lifts and escalators.

“First-aid assistance is available for emergency situations. We encourage shoppers to adhere to Covid-19 precautions including wearing masks,” she said.

Sunway Malls and Theme Park chief executive officer HC Chan said sales had been encouraging since the beginning of November, with year-end spending spurred by early retail sales.

“We forecast the momentum to continue into the last two weeks of December, which is traditionally the strongest retail spend (period) of the year,” he said.

Chan said Sunway Malls was expected to end 2023 with 5% sales growth, surpassing its 2022 performance.

“Our observations also showed that some early Chinese New Year buying has begun,” he said.

Given its experience as a mall group owner and operator for over 26 years, Chan said Sunway had gained insights into seasonal patterns to handle the year-end surge.

“This makes it possible for us to anticipate more precisely when and where greater demands of resources and manpower are required. We can then scale our resources up and down optimally,” he said.

Similarly, Chan said employees and retailers were encouraged to mask up and ensure good hygiene practices remained the norm.

“The SOP (standard operating procedure) on hygiene is still practised today.

“This includes round-the-clock cleaning of public facilities and amenities,” he added.