Several western style food and beverage stores have decide to join the growing competition over Taiwan's moon-cake market before next month's Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the first full moon of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, or Oct. 1 this year on the solar calendar.
The holiday is also called "mooncake festival" after the traditional dessert.
Eyeing the holiday snack market, coffee shops such as Starbucks and IS coffee as well as fast food store Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp Taiwan are trying to attract consumers with home-made moon cakes this year.
"Taiwan is the only place in the world where customers can bite into a Starbuck's Coffee-flavored moon cake," said Chung Tsong-chin (仲崇經), marketing manager of Starbucks, speaking to Chinese-language media last week. He said this year's "hazelnut latte" and "white mocha chocolate" flavor moon cakes were created by Starbucks Taiwan and produced by its parent company, the President Group (統一企業).
Another local coffee chain, IS coffee, is taking advantage of its alliance with the Ding-Hao Bakery (
Kentucky Fried Chicken has chosen moon-shaped egg tarts to show their holiday spirit.
"The full moon during Mid-Autumn Festival is a symbol of family reunions, and our circular egg tarts express the same meaning," said Chen Chia-hsiang (
Other mooncake shapes will be seen at Pacific Sogo Department Store and Breeze Mall. Before its official opening on Oct. 12, Breeze Mall will offer "Betty Boop" moon cakes. Sogo will feature Japanese cartoon character Pom Pom Purin (
PROTECTIONISM: China hopes to help domestic chipmakers gain more market share while preparing local tech companies for the possibility of more US sanctions Beijing is stepping up pressure on Chinese companies to buy locally produced artificial intelligence (AI) chips instead of Nvidia Corp products, part of the nation’s effort to expand its semiconductor industry and counter US sanctions. Chinese regulators have been discouraging companies from purchasing Nvidia’s H20 chips, which are used to develop and run AI models, sources familiar with the matter said. The policy has taken the form of guidance rather than an outright ban, as Beijing wants to avoid handicapping its own AI start-ups and escalating tensions with the US, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the
Taipei is today suspending its US$2.5 trillion stock market as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain. The nation is not conducting securities, currency or fixed-income trading, statements from its stock and currency exchanges said. Yesterday, schools and offices were closed in several cities and counties in southern and eastern Taiwan, including in the key industrial port city of Kaohsiung. Taiwan, which started canceling flights, ship sailings and some train services earlier this week, has wind and rain advisories in place for much of the island. It regularly experiences typhoons, and in July shut offices and schools as
Her white-gloved, waistcoated uniform impeccable, 22-year-old Hazuki Okuno boards a bullet train replica to rehearse the strict protocols behind the smooth operation of a Japanese institution turning 60 Tuesday. High-speed Shinkansen trains began running between Tokyo and Osaka on Oct. 1, 1964, heralding a new era for rail travel as Japan grew into an economic superpower after World War II. The service remains integral to the nation’s economy and way of life — so keeping it dazzlingly clean, punctual and accident-free is a serious job. At a 10-story, state-of-the-art staff training center, Okuno shouted from the window and signaled to imaginary colleagues, keeping
Arm Holdings PLC approached Intel Corp about potentially buying the ailing chipmaker’s product division, only to be told that the business is not for sale, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. In the high-level inquiry, Arm did not express interest in Intel’s manufacturing operations, said the source, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. Intel has two main units: A product group that sells chips for personal computers, servers and networking equipment, and another that operates its factories. Representatives for Arm and Intel declined to comment. Intel, once the world’s largest chipmaker, has become the
RSS