Chocolate sales up as Kingdom tickles its sweet bud

Stores have witnessed increased activity during Ramadan, with sales reaching sometimes SR1 million. (AN photo by Ahmad Hashad)

JEDDAH: Both the rich and the poor have started preparations for Eid Al-Fitr by stocking up on chocolates and sweets, each according to his means.
Abdullah Saeed Al-Ghamidi, manager of a shop that sells chocolate, said stores have witnessed increased activity during Ramadan, with sales reaching sometimes SR1 million.
He said high-quality chocolate comes from three sources, Switzerland, France and Belgium, and each has their own customers. Prices start at SR120 per kilo; French chocolate could reach SR300 per kilo and has its special customers.
Al-Ghamidi said many different chocolate fillings — biscuits, nuts, caramel, coffee beans, milk, cheese cake with various fruit fillings, which is new this year — are intended to please the palate of a wide range of customers. Some chocolates with almond, crisp and pistachio filling could cost SR100 a kilo.
Some elderly customers still like to buy Turkish delight with various fillings, such as peaches, pistachios, almonds or other nuts, in addition to sesame sweets, which stand at SR70 per kilo.
Orders for chocolates and other sweets started on the 17th day of Ramadan.
Delivery and packaging is done according to customer choice — which means the buyer chooses the kind, quantity and type of packaging, and the shop arranges the purchase on fancy plates, brought by the customer or bought from our stores and we deliver the order within five days, said Al-Ghamdi.
“And toward the end of the holy month, when orders increase, we package the chocolates in cartons without any ornaments.”
Amro Saad, salesman at a chocolate company, said orders for sweets increase during the last days of Ramadan, and workers have to work around the clock to meet the growing demand. “Pressure has increased by 35 percent in comparison to last year, and we sell between 600 and 900 plates every day.”