Ramadan is traditionally a lucrative time for food vendors in Muslim-majority countries as more people exit for a late meal after breaking their fast at sunset.
However, the worldwide virus outbreak, which has infected greater than 2.6 million people, has led to widespread restrictions.
Malaysian authorities imposed a partial lockdown until mid-May and canceled Ramadan bazaars. Crowds normally gather there and there are a whole lot of stalls selling food for iftar, a fast meal.
Traffic restrictions have forced 1000’s of street stalls and vendors to make use of digital platforms, mirroring developments in neighboring Indonesia where roadside businesses enjoy a major online presence.
“In Indonesia, you can order almost anything you want using an app,” said Rosli Sulaiman, president of the Malaysian Association of Malay Hawkers and Small Traders.
“Here we need to educate more because most sellers are used to being on the street. Using the Internet or making cashless transactions will be something new for them.”
Malaysian stalls were severely damaged by curbs, with estimated losses of about 50 million ringgit ($11.5 million) for about 100,000 traders.
To mitigate this impact, several corporations have developed e-bazaar platforms to assist Ramadan traders partner with delivery corporations and reach more customers online.
“It’s going to be a hard learning curve, but… we have no choice,” Rosli said.
However, many small food businesses prefer marketing on to customers on social media because they don’t earn enough profit to share it with delivery corporations.
Dozens of Ramadan bazaar groups have appeared on Facebook, where sellers can offer money on delivery services to their closest customers.
Virtual bazaars have also been arrange in Singapore, which canceled Ramadan fairs last month.
The pandemic has had a serious impact on the observance of Ramadan, the standard month by which Muslims spend most of their time with their families and take part in nightly mass prayers in mosques.
($1 = 4.3480 ringgit)
Source : Reuters
