SINGAPORE : Business has been brisk for barbecued pork retailers in the lead-up to the Lunar New Year.
Sales have been so good that one of the most popular 'bak kwa' shops in Chinatown actually ran out of its hot-selling project days before the Year of the Rooster.
Lim Chee Guan, which has been selling 'bak kwa' for 50 years, is ringing up a decent increase in sales just during the pre-Lunar New Year period.
The pork slices are marinated and grilled. Singaporeans queue for hours just to get their hands on this traditional delicacy.
Mr Rod Lim, Owner of Lim Chee Guan Pte Ltd, said: "The crowd this year have come to buy barbecue meat very early than last year, so I have to stop selling barbecue meat two days before the Chinese New Year begins."
He declined to divulge his sales figures.
But Mr Lim credits the Chinatown Business Association for hyping up the Chinese New Year festivities, giving consumers more reason to shop in Chinatown.
One kilogramme of sliced pork costs $48 during the pre-Lunar New Year period.
With about 500 customers a day, a week to Chinese New Year, this amounts roughly to more than $20,000 a day.
Most customers buy more than a kilogramme.
During off-season, a kilogramme of 'bak kwa' costs just $38.
Other big names in the business are Bee Cheng Hiang and Fragrance Foods.
There are two or three other small players in the Chinatown area.
But the queue is always the longest in this particular shop every year.
The pork delicacy is meant to signify abundance and prosperity!
But apparently people are in it not just for tradition, and they prefer some brands over the others.
"It is for the taste, I queued for four hours."
"My parents, my family want this particular shop, so no choice."
Customers do not seem to mind that the queue is too long, and the prices go up astronomically due to the high demand. - CNA
Porky must be desperate to get ppl to stop buying bbq pork...
