China’s mooncake market is warming again this year following a cold spell under the central government’s ban on gift giving among public officials two years ago. Sun Peng, deputy general manager of Dao Xiang Cun Food, the largest pastry maker in Beijing, finally felt relieved after his company distributed most of its mooncakes made this year to small wholesalers and retailers a week ahead of Sunday’s Mid-Autumn Festival. “People are buying mooncakes again,” said Sun. “We expect sales this year to grow 15 to 20 per cent compared to last year.” READ MORE: Everything Hongkongers need to know about Mid-Autumn Festival Sales of mooncakes, the traditional treat for the festival, were hit severely two years ago as the central government banned officials giving or receiving high-end mooncakes, which had become a form of bribe considering their super-high prices. The government warning resulted in a 30 per cent drop in mooncake sales on the mainland during the past two years, the industry estimated. The market recovery this year appears to be driven by family and corporate demand for low- to mid-priced mooncakes. At a Wal-Mart supermarket in Beijing, different brands of boxed mooncakes were piled at the most visible location near the store entrance. Most were selling for between 100 and 200 yuan (HK$120 to HK$240), compared to average prices of at least twice that two years ago. A sales person said the best seller was a four-cake box flavoured with the traditional lotus seed paste and egg yolk, which sells for 99 yuan. On another corner, bulk-packaged mooncakes appeared to be popular among family customers, attracted by cheaper prices and the freedom to purchase different flavours. “In the past, most of our [mooncake] sales came from gift boxes. But this year about half of the mooncakes we have sold are in bulk packages, which means more people are buying cakes to enjoy on their own or share with their families,” Sun said. “This is actually in line with the original meaning of this festival snack, which is a symbol of family unity. We are happy to see this trend.” A recent report by the China Association of Bakery and Confectionery Industry said about 80 per cent of mooncake gift boxes in the mainland market were priced under 200 yuan this year. Total mooncake sales were expected to rise by 10 per cent over last year. Despite the mild recovery, some mooncake sellers said the market remained weak in places. This is actually in line with the original meaning of this festival snack, which is a symbol of family unity. We are happy to see this trend Sun Peng, deputy general manager of Dao Xiang Cun Food Suzie Tang, public relations manager for Beijing’s Langham Place Hotel, has been promoting the hotel’s mooncakes to her contacts on her Wechat account over the past two months. The five-star hotel had prepared 4,000 boxes of Cantonese-style mooncakes in two packages this year, one at 198 yuan and the other at 268 yuan, mainly to sell to hotel guests and corporate customers. “The market is even slacker than previous years,” said Tang. “The impact of the government’s anti-corruption campaign has certainly not disappeared yet. On the other hand, a new trend is that more and more employers are choose something different than the traditional food as festival gifts for their employees, such as gym cards or trip vouchers.” A week ago, Tang and her team sold most of their mooncakes. “Customer demand has changed. Pretty packaging is not the main selling point for us anymore. We now emphasise the nice taste of our cakes.”