Merry marketplace: Arunsalvam showing the Christmas decorations sold at her home in First Garden, Ipoh. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star
IPOH: There are just two weeks left until Christmas and festive preparations are in full swing, with many people shopping for decorations since mid-November.
K. Arunsalvam, 66, who moved her business from a shop in Jalan Sungai Pari to her home in First Garden here, said customers have been coming to her place for Christmas decorations and accessories.
She started operating her business from home in June after offering to rent the shop to someone else.
“We put up a signboard and distributed pamphlets so people would know where to find us,” she said in an interview.
Arunsalvam, who sells a wide range of Christmas items, said decorations are becoming harder to find in shops here, which is why more customers have been seeking her out.
Among the items on sale are nativity sets, decorative candy canes, artificial red berries, mistletoe, Christmas tree ornaments, fairy lights, festive envelope packets, spiral and jar candles, and Christmas trees.
“The most popular items are Santa Claus costumes, Santa hats, spiral candles, wreaths and tree decorations,” she said.
Arunsalvam prints about 30,000 Christmas packet envelopes every year, with most of them sold by the end of the season.
“Even after moving my business to my house, more than 100 people have walked in since Nov 10, with many regular and new customers calling ahead to place orders.
“We expect even more visitors as Christmas gets nearer,” she said, adding that she also receives orders from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak.
“One customer from Sabah travelled here just to buy spiral candles because they’re so hard to find," she said.
Running the business from home is necessary as she currently has no assistants.
Arunsalvam started the business with her husband in the 1990s, but he has since stopped working due to health reasons, leaving her to manage it alone.
Retiree S. Arulsamy, 65, who has been buying decorations from Arunsalvam for over a decade, recently paid a visit to purchase pinecone decorations.
“Not many places sell Christmas decorations these days, so people keep coming here. There are more varieties, the prices are affordable and you can negotiate the prices,” he said.
He added that items such as decorative flowers and candy canes are now harder to find elsewhere.
Another customer, A. Annammal, who bought decorative flowers, said she likes going to Arunsalvam's place as she can get everything she needs there.
The 57-year-old added that Christmas preparations feel more meaningful when families put more effort into decorating their homes.
