Mooncake market plummets amid Covid-19 pandemic
Pham Hai Dang, head of Bao Phuong Store said it was difficult to hire new staff from other provinces. Production costs are 20% higher than usual and they have struggled to find customers.
"Our output has dropped by 80% due to lack of staff. Our staff stay at work," he said. "Despite higher input costs, our prices will stay the same at VND40,000 (USD1.70) to VND80,000 per cake. Our revenue will drop by VND2bn (USD87,400) compared to previous years."
Nguyen Thi Binh, head of Binh Chung Mooncake Factory in Tay Ho District said they could only keep seven to eight workers compared to the usual 20.
Several brands like Bao Phuong, Kinh Do and Huu Nghi have pushed online sales. Bao Phuong said they had increased activities on social media and other platforms like Shopee to reach more customers. However, many areas are under lockdown and can not be reached.
Dao Tien Thanh from Hai Ha Company's Marketing Department also said they had increased online activities. But their goals and expectations are not high amid the pandemic.
