SALE of Eid cakes and sweets is increasing before the Eid as people have started placing orders for these items for their near and dear ones as special Eid gifts.
The rise in the prices from the last year due to a surge in input cost, especially sugar and wheat fine flour, the two major components of cakes, has not affected the sale of both items.
The rates of sweets start ranges from Rs 250 per kilogram to Rs 500 per kilogram in various famous sweets shops of the City. The average price of sweets in the City is Rs 300 per kilogram.
Similarly, the rate of per pound cake starts from Rs 150 and reaches Rs 500. However, usually two pound cakes are sent as Eid gifts. Thus, the staring price of a two pound cake is Rs 320, which reaches around 2000 per cake of various bakeries and food chain cafÈs of the City.
However, the rates of Eid cakes are different than the routine prices. In the bakeries of the City, placing orders for the Eid special cakes has already started while the bakeries also offer delivery services. For a delivery outside the City, they have agreement with the courier services and they charge extra money for it.
The price range of the Eid cakes in the bakeries range between from Rs 800 to Rs 2,000 of different sizes.
An official of a famous bakery chain, which has largest network in the City, said that they had started taking orders for the special Eid cakes. He said that special Eid cakes would be displayed at shops from Ramazan 27, besides the company had also introduced new packaging with a Lahori touch. Another bakery, situated in Model town, has also started taking orders for Eid cakes.
‘We also have special orders of Eid cakes from corporate sector as well and general public,’ a salesman of the bakery said, adding that the cakes were usually dispatched just two days before Ramazan to the customers.
A banquet official of renowned hotel said that mostly corporate clients place orders there for delivery of Eid cakes to different peopleís residences. Usually delivery of cakes was done till Chand Raat but in some cases the delivery of Eid cakes was done on Eid morning, he added.
Manager of a chain of sweets shops and bakeries said the sweets would be the famous item on Chand Raat and Eid days. He said that people purchased sweets on these days and gifted to their relatives and friends while visiting their places as Eid wishing gift. He said Eidul Fitr was also known as Sweet Eid thatís why the exchange of sweets increased on this occasion. He said that soon after moon sighting, people would rush to the sweets shops and due to this expected sale, extra quantity of sweets was demanded from the head office.