It’s Hot but Big Chill Hits Drinks Sales
Sok Rath, a coconut seller in the Boeung Trabek area, said he was happy with his business now as many people flocked to buy his juice. Some days, people were still coming for his coconuts though they had been sold out. Photo: Teng Yalirozy
- By Teng Yalirozy
- April 5, 2024 7:10 PM
PHNOM PENH – As temperatures soar with 42 degrees predicted, street vendors are puzzled as some see cool drinks sales soaring while others struggle to find customers.
Ny, 55, a sugarcane juice seller near Sen Bun Rany Phsar Doeum Thkov High School in Phnom Penh, said it was strange that fewer people bought his juice.
He usually prepares two bundles of sugarcanes for a day, each costing 20,000 riel or $5, but he can hardly sell the juice from one bundle. One cup of juice costs 2,500 riel.
“Last year, I could sell all two bundles while this year many sugarcanes are left every day,” Ny said. “I am not sure why. Probably, there are many people selling sugarcane juice, making this business more competitive.”
Ny said he came to Phnom Penh from Kampong Cham province in 2019 just before the COVID-19 outbreak. However, his business did well during the pandemic as many people were looking for ice-cold juice.
Sok Rath, a coconut seller in the Boeung Trabek area, said he was happy with his business now as many people flocked to buy his juice. Some days, people were still coming for his coconuts though they had been sold out.
“I can sell more than 100 coconuts a day during this hot season,” he said. “I want to sell more but my supplier does not have enough for me. In the dry season, there are not many coconuts compared to the rainy season.”
In one day, Rath can earn 300,000 to 400,000 riel or $75-$100 a day. One coconut cost 3,500 riel. Rath came to the city 10 years ago from Takeo province and has been selling coconuts since then.
His income soars during the dry season when people are desperate for a cool, fresh drink.
Teang, an orange juice seller in the Toul Tompong area, has seen a decline in her business in the past two years after the country emerged from the pandemic.
“This year, I can sell around 20 bottles of orange juice. Last year, I could sell around 50 bottles while some days, more than 100 bottles were sold out,” she said while making the juice.
She can’t explain the drop but said the many emerging coffee shops in the city could be to blame. In the past, she could earn 700,000-800,000 riels or $175-$200 a day. Recently it has been 200,000 riels or $50.
Asked if she considered changing the business or returning to her hometown, Tbong Khmum, she said it had been hard to make ends meet there when she left 10 years ago.
The prospects this year for the economy look brighter with the National Bank of Cambodia predicting 6.4 percent growth, mostly from manufacturing and tourism.
Maximum temperatures up to 42 degrees are forecast for some provinces, with up to 38 degrees in the south, southeast and east. Coastal province temperatures are expected to reach 37 degrees.
