Consumers voice frustration over expensive Ramadan bazaar beverages, questioning ethics and transparency as large brands compete with small vendors.

NOW that the fasting month has officially commenced nationwide and is nearing its first week, Ramadan bazaars have also opened, offering a wide variety of local and fusion food and drinks.

However, interest in these bazaars appears to be waning, largely due to complaints over high prices and concerns about food and drink quality.

Recently, major beverage brands have begun setting up stalls at these bazaars, selling their products and directly competing with local “air balang” vendors.

The issue was highlighted by a Threads user who voiced support for these more established brands while simultaneously calling out “air balang” vendors charging up to RM12 for a “basic drink”.

“All I can say is serves them right to the vendors who keep overpricing drinks at bazaars. It’s actually a good thing that (these brands) are entering the scene because maybe it will finally make these sellers reflect on what they’re doing and be a bit more humble.

“If you feel offended by this, then maybe you’re one of those sellers who overcharge customers. Vendors really need to learn how to benchmark their prices properly and be more reasonable instead of taking advantage of people during Ramadan,” the post read.

Netizens also voiced their displeasure over the steep prices of beverages sold by local vendors compared with more established brands, whether local or international.

“Some local governments even give these vendors discounts on rental fees, yet they still show no mercy towards consumers. I don’t think that’s a good thing. They know very well how much they’re earning just from selling drinks. Is this really how people want to make money?” a user questioned.

“RM10–RM12 for a diluted cordial drink seems excessive, even though I genuinely want to support small businesses. Even when I bought coconut water without ice or sugar syrup, it tasted like 80% plain water and only 20% coconut. Sure, you can keep prices at that level, but at least be honest in your business dealings,” another user pointed out.

Meanwhile, some users reminded the Threads poster that larger brands have a clear advantage over local vendors in terms of resources and financial backing.

“The food and beverage business naturally involves intense competition between big brands and small vendors. Big brands have the capacity for large-scale production, which allows them to reduce prices, while small vendors operate on a smaller scale, which affects their selling prices,” a user noted.

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 The Sun Malaysia