The New Indian Express ·
Juice, tea shops in Chennai & suburbs feel the pinch as sugar prices rise
CHENNAI: A sharp rise in sugar prices in recent weeks has pushed up input costs for tea shops, bakeries and juice outlets in Chennai and its suburbs, with some businesses passing on the burden to customers and others absorbing the increase ahead of the festival season.
R Ravikumar, 32, who runs a bakery in Alandur, said the shop was planning to increase the prices of cakes and sweets in the next two days, though the quantum of the hike is yet to be decided. “If the increase in sugar prices was minimal, we would not have raised prices. But the price of a 25-kg bag has risen from around Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 in a few weeks,” he said.
A juice shop in Chetpet has put up a notice citing the sugar price rise as the reason for a temporary Rs 5 increase per juice serving. A juice shop in Adambakkam has also raised prices by Rs 5 per serving. Its owner, Logesh, said customers were informed of the revised rates before placing orders instead of relying on posters or banners.