HOUSE OF THE WEEK

An abundance of space at FMI City

CERTAINLY, space is not a problem in this house – once you get there. Over the Hlaing River, 45 minutes from downtown, there is a large one-storey house in a big compound waiting for someone ready to trade time for space. ...more

Yangon Weather Forecast, Burma

Demand strong for Xmas decorations

NOBODY in Myanmar was dreaming of a white Christmas – but more and more people were buying Christmas trees, decorating them and exchanging Christmas cards, shopkeepers say.

Sales of Yuletide accessories – trees, decorations, cards – were up again this year, as prices, tied to the weaker US dollar, fell compared to 12 months ago.

“The price of Christmas accessories depends on the US dollar. Our sales are good this year because our customers came back,” said the general manager of Sandy floral services and gift centre at Dhammazedi Road. The peak season for Christmas sales was mid-November to December 25.

The smallest tree available, only 2 feet (60 centimetres) high, sold for K5000, and an 8-footer (1.3 metres) went for K80,000, said Ko Zay Yar, manager of the marketing department of Sein Gay Har super centre.

For tree-trimming purposes, a pack of bows set buyers back K1000, K2000 for a pack of musical symbols, and K3000 for a pack of Santa Clauses, all about K200 less than last year, said Ko Zay Yar, and a large, well-dressed tree can set you back K80,000 or more.

Christmas hampers sold from about K27,000 to nearly K200,000 according to their contents, but most customers spent between K30,000 and K45,000, he said.

“People are buying more every year,” Ko Zay Yar said. The most popular seasonal items are wreaths, hampers, trees and flower vases, said the spokesperson from Sandy.

Prices decreased about 10-30 percent compared to last year. “A Christmas wreath that went for K10,000 last year is now just K8500,” she said.

Christmas wreath prices range from K5000 to K15,000, flower vases and baskets from K15,000 to nearly K40,000. Translucent glass figures, new to the market this year, sell at K4500 to K15,000.

“Giving Christmas gifts is not a Myanmar tradition. But people are doing it more in order to expand their social life,” she said.

Some accessories are handmade locally, but most are from China, Thailand and Singapore. The Chinese items are most saleable because of the price, she said.

“Some people like handmade items because they cannot find them anywhere and they buy them no matter what the price,” she said.

“Prices were not down for all items, like trees, so I’ve sold some things left over from last year, at last year’s price,” said one owner of Christmas accessories and stationery shop in Bogyoke Aung San Road.

She made about 20 sales a day in her small shop, and although demand hasn’t changed much over the years, people were showing more interest in decorating their homes for Christmas, she said.

Christmas cards cost from K300 to K2000. “Children give each other cards,” she said.