Slow sales, rising costs: Malaysian Ramadan bazaar vendors pivot between food offerings and price increases.

KUALA LUMPUR: About 1.5 hours before fasting time, the Ramadan Bazaar, located next to Shah Alam Stadium in Selangor, is a hub of activity.

Vendors here are shouting at their voices to attract customers, many of them coming after work to buy food and drinks for Iftar.

Many traders told CNA that business has been particularly slow this year, particularly on weekdays. That’s why they bring in potential customers and entice them into stores, merchants said.

Sluggish sales and rising costs have forced some to turn products and others to raise prices.

Ramadan bazaars are a common sight throughout the country offering a variety of food and beverages during the fasting period.

For many traders, setting up shop at these bazaars is a way to earn extra income before the festive season.

Kuning Saidatul Izween, who runs a Mummy Ween stall in the bazaar next to Shah Alam Stadium, said business had been relatively sluggish this year and had to shift its business strategy to attract customers.

Kuning told CNA that during the first eight days of Ramadan, she and her husband sold nasi hujan panas, also known as rainbow rice.

A pack of rice with meat and side dishes sold for RM15 (US$3.40), but demand was low, she said.

“There is a lot of competition and a lot of rice stalls are not doing well,” said the 35-year-old.