Major beverage shop chains have announced price increases, citing higher operational costs due to government policies regarding basic wages, human resources, water and electricity, as well as increased raw material costs.
Beverage chain CoCo (都可) on its Web site announced a NT$5, or 14.2 percent, increase to NT$40 in the price of popular drinks, including bubble tea, while its Assam milk tea increased 16.6 percent to NT$35 per cup.
However, the price of milk with pudding and tapioca dropped 8 percent from NT$60 to NT$55, and the cost of milk with taro dropped 9 percent from NT$55 to N$50, it said.
Photo: Wang Chun-chung, Taipei Times
Ching Shin Fu Chuan (清心福全) on Thursday also announced on its Web site that it would raise prices due to increased personnel and sales costs.
As of Thursday next week, all Ching Shin stores in Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan and Hsinchu are to see a NT$5 hike for nine medium and large-sized drinks — seven tea-based and two mixed, the company said.
The prices of medium-sized fruit juices are also to increase NT$5, an average increase of 2.84 percent, the company said, adding that stores in central, southern and eastern Taiwan are exempt from the change.
Meanwhile, 50 Lan (50嵐) said it would increase prices in central Taiwan, but drinks priced at NT$50 would not change.
The pricing scale for northern Taiwan started at a higher level than the other regions and therefore would not be changed, 50 Lan said, adding that while it has no plans to adjust prices in southern Taiwan, such a change could still happen.
The price hikes are to cover growing costs due to increases in the minimum wage, raw material costs and water and electricity fees, it said.
The government’s revised minimum wage standards took effect on Jan. 1, with the monthly minimum wage raised from NT$21,009 to NT$22,000 and the hourly minimum wage raised from NT$133 to NT$140.
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