BAGAN SERAI, May 18 – Two women, both involved in traditional kuih, have different ways of sustaining their business in keeping up with the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) by changing their business strategy.
One of them, Nor Azizah Amri, 49, is the proprietor of Nab Food Industries Sdn Bhd, a traditional kuih bahulu and kuih peneram manufacturer in the Kerian district.
Since COVID-19 hit the country, her company sales has dropped by up to 50 per cent, forcing her to cut down on her production to reduce losses.
She said among the factors for the decline in the company sales was the prohibition on inter-state travel.
“We dare not produce more bahulu and kuih peneram because of poor sales,” she said when met by Bernama at her office.
Nor Azizah, who started the business on a small scale in 2010 by selling her kuih bahulu and kuih peneram at the morning and night markets, said the COVID-19 pandemic had however prompted her to turn to online business to sell her products.
It’s the online business that has been helping me to sustain throughout the pandemic period until now, she added.
Meanwhile, for Chek Nah Husain, 71, she is having her hands full managing her stall in front of a shop building at Jalan Kampung Pinang, Taiping.
Her “kuih lima seringgit”, which actually is a packet of five types of traditional kuih comprising Kuih Lapis, Karipap, Seri Muka Hijau and Lepat Liat, is the best-seller at her stall.
“The response is unexpected after it was viralled by my customers. They get to taste five types of kuih just buying one packet,” she said, adding that she also helped to sell food stuff made by other villagers, who gave her a commission of RM2 for every sale of RM10 she made.
Sources: BERNAMA