By: Rosli Mansor and Ahmad Razali
IPOH: The lack of purchasing power among consumers is becoming increasingly evident even during the festive season.
Merchants are voicing their grievances as they are forced to bear losses without the expected returns on investment.
Diana Hussain, the founder of Neat & Joy, mentioned that she had never experienced a shortage of customers before, and her business always received a warm reception, especially leading up to the festive season.
“This year, my business is not as promising compared to previous years before the pandemic. Everything changed after our country transitioned into the pandemic phase.
“The purchasing power among consumers today is greatly reduced, sometimes even nonexistent. There have been three consecutive days where I did not receive any customers, and this is very saddening.
“The rental fees for business premises are also high, especially in shopping centres. It’s difficult to recover the rental costs.
“People are now more cautious about spending, perhaps due to the high cost of living and unstable economy,” she told Ipoh Echo/Peraktastic at her stall in AEON Kinta City.
Diana Hussain, a batik entrepreneur registered with Kraftangan Malaysia Perak Branch, also complained about the exorbitant rental fees for business premises.
“I have to ensure that my daily sales exceed RM200 to cover all expenses. If I fail, it means I will incur losses. The total monthly rental for my business premises is RM6,000.
“These are the challenges that we have to face. Previously, people would shop until their trolleys were full, but not anymore. They only shop based on necessity and affordability,” she said.
