PETALING JAYA: Customers stocking up for the Chinese New Year are pleased with the festive season-controlled price scheme.
Many were seen filling their trolleys at groceries with food items for the reunion dinner and festive meals.
Accountant Wong Mei Ling, 42, said there was a slight difference in pricing compared with prices last week.
“It’s not drastic, but at least prices are not going up,” she said.
Wong, who will cook for a family of 12, said she preferred bulk buying.
“I buy chicken, pork, carrots and garlic every year in large quantities. Even with price control, the total still adds up,” Wong said.
Wong added that while the prices were reasonable, festive preparations inevitably resulted in higher spending.
“We don’t really cut down on food for reunion dinner. It’s once a year, so we want to have as much as we can,” she said.
Retiree Tan Siew Kheng, 58, said she was satisfied with both pricing and supply.
“Everything was in stock, and the prices were cheaper than I expected,” she said.
She said vegetables such as carrots and white radish were reasonably priced.
“I remember closely monitoring prices during last year’s Chinese New Year. This time, the vegetable prices are quite fair,” she said.
Tan expressed relief that the ingredients she wanted were available.
“I was worried items like garlic and ginger would be expensive, but prices are reasonable. I was also expecting some items to be sold out today, being a Friday, but everything I needed was in stock,” she added.
Restaurant supervisor Lim Jun Hao, 35, said price stability was more important than large discounts.
“For me, it’s not about big discounts or sudden spikes in prices,” he said.
He said items commonly used in festive dishes, including cabbages and potatoes, were sufficiently stocked.
“Cabbage is usually one of the items that fluctuates a lot in availability. Sometimes potatoes run out very quickly, but there were still plenty to pick,” he said yesterday.
Lim added that stable pricing allowed families to plan ahead.
“At least with the price control, we can plan instead of worrying whether prices will increase again. Even small savings help when you are buying for family gatherings,” he said.
