TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Shin Kong Mitsukoshi said Wednesday it expects Mid-Autumn Festival gift sales to exceed NT$100 million (US$3 million) this year.
The department store operator said it has launched 255 gift products, with more than 80% being new additions and half exclusive items, per CNA. It expects sales to rise nearly 20% year-on-year, while imported cooking oil sales reached about NT$6 million from early June to Aug. 4, up 114.7% from a year earlier.
A Shin Kong Mitsukoshi executive said consumers began seeking alternatives after the cooking oil incident, driving demand for imported oils, per UDN. Olive oil was the most popular choice, followed by canola oil and Japanese rapeseed oil.
The company said it will strengthen bulk-purchase promotions for cooking oil during its mid-year and anniversary sales. It added that suppliers featured in this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival catalog must provide information on cooking oil brands and sources used in their products to ensure traceability.
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi said pastry gift boxes remain popular despite the food safety concerns, with salted egg yolk pastries overtaking traditional mooncakes in sales this year. The company has introduced more than 26 salted egg yolk pastry gift boxes, along with dessert brands from Japan and South Korea.
Fruit also remains a key gift category, with pomelos, grapes, and melons among popular choices, including products sourced through partnerships with farmers. The company said its Japanese Kumamoto Yoshino pear gift box is unavailable due to shipping difficulties after a recent earthquake in the region.
