MARHABAN ya Ramadhan, Welcome to the month of Ramadan. Alhamdullillah, this year is the second year that Muslims have experienced freedom, after two years of refraining from celebrating the joy of worship in a month full of blessings. In 2021 and 2022, Muslims during Ramadan, apart from fasting, must also refrain from carrying out worship by having to distance themselves, aka not gathering.
This has certainly diminished the festive atmosphere of the holy month, which has traditionally been enjoyed. For example, congregational tarawih prayers at mosques, the presence of takjil (meal-breaking) markets, communal iftar gatherings, and homecoming trips have had to be carefully managed. Even celebrating Eid al-Fitr in one's hometown has had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ramadan is a time for those with an entrepreneurial spirit. This is perfectly justified, especially in the culinary industry, given the high market demand. This presents a promising market opportunity, and businesses are capitalizing on it. Therefore, competition is bound to be fierce.
If so, how can you make the most of Ramadan's momentum so that your culinary business can reap profits?
Apart from discussing products, there is also the time zone factor which also plays an important role in supporting the success of the culinary business.
During the holy month of Ramadan, consumers generally seek out fried foods, ready-to-eat foods, pastries, and frozen meals ready to be served at iftar and sahur. They also include refreshing drinks to quench their thirst after 12 hours of fasting, such as banana compote, cendol ice, fruit ice, and fruit-based drinks (like juice).
However, selling culinary products during Ramadan also requires considering time zones. The Ramadan fast consists of 29 days, so it's divided into the first 10 days, the middle 10 days, and the last 9 days, leading up to Eid al-Fitr. Adapting the types of culinary products sold to these time zones will also help with capital utilization.
The first 10 days are a period of adjustment to fasting. People tend to be a little more generous with their culinary needs. Popular products include various drinks, fried foods, and iftar meals. Business opportunities exist for frozen food producers targeting housewives, students, or employees living in boarding houses. They often prioritize convenience when providing iftar and sahur meals.
Also consider consumers with children who are learning to fast. During this time, parents will encourage their children to learn to fast. Therefore, food products are also prepared for the children's market segment.
What about business startups or "sudden" entrepreneurs? Can they capitalize on this momentum? Of course, there's a lot of room for improvement.
There's no need to make your own; the frozen food reseller business is wide open. In addition to direct consumers, special Ramadan hampers containing iftar dishes are available for individuals and companies to send to family or corporate clients.
By the middle of the 10-day period, people are generally starting to settle down. This week is marked by the desire to break the fast together with friends and family outside the home. Consequently, the number of takjil (meals) purchased will generally decrease. Demand for "hampers" containing iftar dishes will increase.
For those producing pastries, this is the perfect time to offer your products. Offers can be pre-orders or direct offers, as the products are ready to go, just needing to be shipped.
In the last 10 days, or leading up to Eid al-Fitr, seasonal culinary producers living near campuses, schools, or offices typically begin reducing their stock. This is because potential sales will decrease as many customers return to their hometowns. The closure of many restaurants and food stalls will drive up demand for culinary products such as packaged drinks, pastries, fast food, and frozen foods.
For catering businesses, the last 10 days are a great opportunity to offer a variety of meals for extended families to enjoy during Eid al-Fitr.
However, are there potential culinary business opportunities in these three zones? Yes. For example, providing takjil (meals) or rice packets to be offered to benefactors for breaking the fast or pre-dawn meal. This offer will be more popular if it includes delivery to the destination (of course, with terms and conditions such as minimum order and delivery distance).
The overall explanation of the potential culinary business opportunities capitalizing on the Ramadan fasting period will maximize consumer satisfaction if supported by knowledge and typical consumer behavior during Ramadan. Furthermore, product quality (from raw materials, processing, to packaging) and timely delivery are also crucial.
Therefore, it's crucial to maintain the quality of the business ecosystem. This includes raw material and supplementary material suppliers, quality and quantity, production workforce, speed of response to customer orders, clarity of information provided, payment methods, availability, and delivery schedules from couriers to customers.
Happy business in the month of Ramadan, may it be blessed.
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*) Tri Siwi Agustina, head of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Industrial Relations, lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Airlangga