By Jessica Lim

EVEN traditional medicine outlets are hoping to pull in customers with store-wide discounts.

At Yit Chien Medical Company, a small store in Yishun, owner Ong Kwai Fatt has been holding a sale for about a month, the first time in 10 years that the 62-year-old has offered discounts during the festive season.

At his shop, about 70g of premium ginseng from China now costs $1,080, down from $1,350 last month, and 37.5g of bird's nest from Indonesia costs $153, down from $180.

He hopes to clear stocks by attracting new customers and getting regular shoppers to buy more - a strategy that seems to be working.

This month, sales rose to an average of $600 a day, compared to $400 before the discounts were introduced.

He said: 'All I want is some money; I don't want to keep stocks. We need to pay suppliers and keep business going.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Dec 24, 2008.

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