Traders said they lost at least 50 percent of the business during this year´s Dashain as compared to last year.[break]
"This year´s Dashain made us a bit sad," said Ashok Jhunjhunwala, manager of Aangan Sweets that run a chain of sweets shops in Kathmandu.
"The additional business that we used to see during this festival has been down by as much as 50 percent," he said. "New customers have been missing this Dashain," added Jhunjhunwala.
He claimed since Aangan Sweets has a long standing goodwill, the food adulteration scandal made little impact on its relationship with old customers.
According to officials at Aangan Sweets, the food chain made only 40 percent of the additional business during this year´s Dashain compared to last year. But compared to rest of the year, it saw a rise of around 70 percent in business during Dashain.
Traders said the trend to present sweets on the occasion of Dashain pushed the sales. "Most people bought sweets for gifts while earlier they would buy them only for self," said Sangam Chaulagain, director of Sangam Sweets. Festivals like Dashain and Tihar are considered the best time for sweets trade.
He said corporates and business houses that purchase sweets for presenting them as gifts to business associates and employees constitute the biggest client for sweets.
Most traders said dry food items including cashew nut, almond, dried grapes, beetle nuts, clove and pistachio, among others were high in demand, mainly for gifts.
"The food adulteration scandal that tarnished the image of all sweets makers did not impact us much as we maintain high quality and standards in hygiene in the items we make and sell," added Chaulagain.
He said Sangam Sweets, which has two stores in Kathmandu and two in Damak, witnessed a rise of 80 percent in business compared to normal days.
Similarly, Shree Ram Bhandar - one of the oldest sweets shops in the valley - could not escape the effects of negative publicity.
"We had not seen this kind of ow business during Dashain. The negative publicity cost over 50 percent of the business," said an official at Shree Ram Bhandar.
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