Mooncake coupons invade the Internet
(eastday.com)
Updated: 2004-09-08 09:03

With the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival drawing near, the purchase of mooncake coupons online has risen sharply.

EBay EachNet.com, one of the country's leading e-business platforms, said about 500 mooncake coupon deals were successfully made each week since going on sale, about 60 percent higher than last year.

"Mooncake coupon sales is extraordinarily hot this year and it has become one of our business highlights these days," said Tang Lei, public relations manager at eBay EachNet.

A mooncake is a sweet pastry with a round shape symbolizing union.

Chinese traditionally eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on September 28 this year.

Coupons popular online include famous brands such as Xinhualou and Xinya, two Shanghai-based food-stuff producers.

Still, fashionable but expensive newcomers, like ice cream mooncakes from Haagen-Dazs or offerings from Starbucks and Ganso are more likely to make the purchase list.

Most bids were by Shanghai people with surplus mooncake coupons looking to sell them at a discount -usually 80 percent of its market price.

"Selling tickets not only prevents mooncake from being wasted but earning me some extra income as well," said Daniel Tao, an office worker in Shanghai.

As a sales manager, Tao said he gets many mooncake coupons sent by customers every festival season.

He could only eat a small portion and give some as gifts to family, leaving the bulk of coupons wasted.

Another way to get rid of extra coupons was to sell them at a discount to scalpers. But the illegal purchase is not so reliable, Tao said.

"Online purchases, therefore, became an effective way to solve coupon flow between surplus holders and mooncake fans," Tao said.

To prevent professional scalpers, eBay EachNet.com launched an online monitoring system this year.

Individuals caught scalping online will be identified on their personal credit record or even refused entry to eBay EachNet for future e-purchases.

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