Design counts: Why mooncake boxes are being resold online, some ...
Updated
Sep 17, 2024, 04:09 PM
Published
Sep 17, 2024, 03:49 PM
SINGAPORE – A briefcase containing accessories to open a wine bottle, a jewellery box, a tingkat and a tote bag – the packaging for mooncakes these days goes well beyond simple square boxes.
In line with the burgeoning variety of flavours available, it appears how the mooncakes are presented has also gone up several levels, so much so that some of the packaging is being resold online.
In the past week, there were more than 330 listings of mooncake display boxes – mostly without the sweet treats – put up on marketplace Carousell. This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Sept 17.
Among the most expensive receptacles being listed are those from luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet, with at least two – sans mooncakes – being priced at $1,800 and another, which comes with mooncakes, at $2,088.
One design can be used as a jewellery box, while the other is an exquisite lantern that comes with a telescope and light.
Mooncake packaging from other luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci is priced in the hundreds. One of the listings even describes the item as being “for collectors”.
But there are also more affordable listings, such as those from leading hotels, including The Fullerton Hotel, Shangri-La Singapore and The Ritz-Carlton, and restaurants such as Peach Garden.
Most of these range between $5 and $20 and some are being offered for free.
Over at Facebook marketplace, at least 20 listings of mooncake boxes were put up for sale in the last 30 days.
It is not known if there were any successful transactions.
Marketing experts said there are various reasons why these boxes are being resold.
Professor Sharon Ng at NTU’s Nanyang Business School said some sellers might think that it is wasteful to simply discard the packaging.
“Many mooncake boxes nowadays are very intricately designed and one may feel guilty throwing such beautiful boxes away,” she said, adding that she was surprised that such packaging are being resold.
However, Professor Lawrence Loh, director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the NUS Business School, believes that consumers are selling the fancy packaging to cash in, especially for boxes that can be collectible items or boxes from luxury brands and top hotels.
“Reselling collectibles is a natural extension of consumerism and the emphasis has shifted from the core products – which are the mooncakes in this instance – to the packaging,” he said.
“Producers are catering to this trend with more novel, fancy and collectible packaging to ride on the new consumerism (trend).”
On why there might be demand for these resold mooncake boxes, experts said that buyers might be collecting them as personal keepsakes or hoping to resell them for a profit in the future.
Dr Seshan Ramaswami, an associate professor of marketing education at the Singapore Management University, said that buyers may have a genuine love for certain brands and want to collect an array of items or accessories under such brands, similar to how concertgoers collect merchandise for a concert.
He added that the presentation boxes can be a classic collector’s item, especially when the packaging keeps changing over the years, and that their value might appreciate over time.
However, not all offering the boxes are profit-driven.
Ms Aslinda Lim, for instance, puts up her mooncake boxes on Carousell for free.
“Many companies invest significant time and effort into creating beautiful packaging and it feels wasteful to throw it away,” said the 37-year-old teacher, who repurposed these boxes to store stationery and sewing supplies, among others.
“Since I have more boxes than I can use, I thought it would be better to give them away for free, allowing others to give them a second lease of life rather than letting them go to waste,” said Ms Lim, adding that she has been giving away mooncake boxes since 2020.
When The Straits Times visited the Mid-Autumn Festive Celebration 2024 at Takashimaya Square, consumers said that they are unlikely to buy mooncake boxes that are being resold online.
However, some acknowledged that the packaging does play a role in their purchasing decision.
Mr Marcus Chew, 60, who is in the freight forwarding industry, buys mooncakes mostly as gifts. He said: “The packaging has to look good and presentable when I give them to my clients.”
But when it comes to his personal consumption, he does not fuss over the design of the packaging.
Ms Zhang Ling, 40, goes for mooncake boxes that can be reused for other purposes. For instance, the lawyer, who goes on overseas work trips often, bought mooncakes from The Ritz-Carlton as its packaging can be repurposed as a travel bag.
Restaurants like Peach Garden said that about nine in 10 customers at the fair would ask about the packaging of the mooncakes and some would buy its products because the packaging can be used as a tote bag and a mini suitcase.
However, for others like Ms Serene Huang, 35, who is in the events industry, taste trumps looks. Even when it comes to gifts, she prioritises the receiver’s palate over beautiful packaging.
Ms Huang, who tries to reuse mooncake boxes for storage, said boxes that cannot be repurposed can be wasteful.
Baker’s Oven’s manager Pedro Chen said that not all customers go for extravagant displays. The bakery offers several tiers of packaging to cater to different customers’ needs.
For example, one of them has a cover that can be converted into a lantern, while another box is less bulky and easier to carry.
Prof Loh said that brands will have to adopt creative means to constantly maintain their presence in the minds of consumers, and this includes offering novel items.
However, reselling mooncake boxes, he said, should not be confused with recycling them.
“In the first place, we should reduce unnecessary packaging as much as possible. Overly prettified packaging for mooncakes can be avoided,” Prof Loh said.
“In gifting, it’s the thought that counts. Consumers should not play along with the trend and further burden the environment.”
