Convenience store chains said advance orders for moon cakes over the past month have remained at the same level as last year, with cold-stored cakes proving a favorite.
President Chain Store Corp (超一超商) said cold-stored moon cakes, such as ice cream and mochi cakes, have become more popular in the past two years, and now account for half of the top 10 best-selling moon cakes.
It launched a new service this year, allowing consumers to pick up moon cakes five to six days after orders are placed.
“In light of rising inflation, President Chain Store is emphasizing low to mid-priced moon cakes [below NT$600 per gift set],” Lin Chia-chen (林佳珍), a public relations specialist, said by telephone yesterday.
Moon cake sales usually see the biggest jump one month before the Moon Festival, Lin said, so her company expects sales to take off starting this weekend and grow by 10 percent from a year ago.
Taiwan FamilyMart Co (全家便利商店) said its moon cake sales may remain the same as last year’s because of the economic downturn.
Unlike last year, its top three sellers this year are all cold-stored cakes priced between NT$300 and NT$399, such as mochi and dorayaki [a Japanese confection of two small pancake-like patties] filled with bean paste and ice cream.
Taiwan FamilyMart said cold-stored cakes have become popular because of their simple manufacturing process and cheaper costs.
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