The prices of popular Lunar New Year’s products have noticeably gone up this year, and customers are feeling the pinch.
With the year of the snake just around the corner, vendors on Kaohsiung’s Sanfong Central Street are kicking it into high gear to turn a profit. The traditional market is as busy as ever ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, but people have noticed that the demands on their pocketbooks are much greater.
One consumer commented that while it’s normal for prices to go up every year, they’re finding that even NT$10,000 (USD$300) doesn’t go very far anymore. Store owners explained that the products seeing the most drastic price increases include nuts, certain varieties of dried mushrooms, and Chinese medicinal materials for soup bases.
Vendors are just as busy in Chiayi City, where some customers drive long distances just to buy their traditionally made sausages and cured meat. In contrast to some other goods, the owner of this famous shop has been able to keep prices the same. It certainly pays to be shrewd about what you plan to have on the table for your family feast this year.
Hanna Bilinski for Rti News