Eid Al Adha ramps up demand for sweets

AMMAN — Demand for sweets, especially mamoul (sweet cake stuffed with date paste or nuts) and chocolate, increased prior to Eid, as people are looking to compensate for Eid Al Fitr, which witnessed restriction on vehicle movements and a curfew, hindering people’s visits and celebration. 

“People did not experience last Eid properly, they barely celebrated one day of it, and there is good demand now in markets,” President of the Jordan Association for Restaurants and Sweets Shops Owners Omar Awad told The Jordan Times on Wednesday over the phone. 

In regards to prices, date-filled mamoul prices range between JD4 and JD20, depending on the shop and quality, pistachio-filled mamoul is also sold for prices ranging between JD6 and JD13 per one kilogramme. 

He added that chocolates, also depending on quality, sell for between JD3 and JD20 per kilogramme. 

“The sector suffered severe losses, and no matter how well sales go nowadays, it is hard to compensate, but it is a lot better to have good demand rather than no demand at all like last Eid,” he said. 

Abu Osama, manager at a sweets store, told The Jordan Times that in the past few days before Eid, the demand was not the same when compared with the previous year. 

“The sales are around 50 per cent less than they were last year,” Abu Osama said, noting that usually on the last day before Eid, demand spikes the most. 

An employee at another sweet store in Amman, said: “There is good demand.It is surely better than last Eid.”