PETALING JAYA: With multiple festivals and school reopenings coming up, Malaysians are hitting malls to shop for multiple occasions at once, drawn by variety and year-end discounts.
Wendy Lee, 54, said she has begun her festive shopping early to buy gifts for both Christmas and Chinese New Year, while department stores have the best selections.
“I came with my two sisters for a family shopping trip. I bought something for myself and my sister-in-law,” said the retiree from Petaling Jaya when met at a mall.
Lee added that department stores now offer better collections for both Christmas and Chinese New Year, making it a good time to shop for multiple occasions at once.
“As a buyer, I feel for the sellers because people are cutting back, but I trust this brand so I’m happy to shop even during a busy festive season,” she said.
Similarly, a mother of five who wants to be known as Nina, 43, said she and her husband are spending on school supplies first, although Hari Raya items are already being sold.
“I’m mainly shopping for my two children moving to Year 1 and Form 1, they need new uniforms, shoes, books and other essentials,” said the executive who came to shop at a mall in Petaling Jaya during her break.
“I usually plan school budgets first, then Hari Raya celebrations. I’ll maximise the school supplies budget before anything else as we need about RM3,000 to spend on my children,” she added.
Darshini Chaziyan, 23, a mathematics teacher from Selangor, said she was buying Christmas clothes for herself and her family, using her first pay cheque and was happy with the variety available at the mall.
“I’m glad about this packed festive season because there are so many options to choose from,” she said.
She budgeted about RM200 for her shopping yesterday.
“It’s my yearly routine to do major shopping in December and stock up for the year. They also have more new collections and designs every December,” she added.
Meanwhile, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said with most Malaysians being employed, households have the income to spend, which in turn helps support the economy.
“However, a higher cost of living would result in consumers being more cautious and price-sensitive when they make purchases,” he said.
Speaking on the strong ringgit recently, Afzanizam said this does inject some form of feel-good factor for consumers to shop now.
“The confidence in the ringgit allows them to be able to afford and go for overseas trips. So, it does help to improve consumer sentiments,” he said.
