“Now cockles are sold by pieces; inflation is so scary” — Diner shocked by Singapore hawker’s price hike

SINGAPORE: A diner took to social media on Monday (Aug 26) to highlight yet another case of food stalls raising their prices, with the latest shocker being that cockles are sold by pieces.

In a post on the Facebook group ‘Complaint Singapore,’ Mr Brandon Koh voiced his dismay, writing: “Seriously. Now cockles are sold by pieces. Inflation is so scary. Size is Singapore tiny one. Not those sold in Thailand.”

Mr Koh also included a photo of a handwritten sign from the local food stall, which detailed the updated prices. According to the sign, customers can now purchase five pieces of cockles for $1.00, three pieces of prawns for $2.00, and extra chilli for an additional $0.30.

Mr Koh further explained in the comments section that he has nothing against the stall owner and continues to frequent the place regularly. “Nothing against the hawker,” he clarified. “I’m just worried for future generation if price keep on going up uncontrollably.”

Mr Koh’s post resonated with many who have felt the pinch as the cost of living continues to climb. One netizen said, “No ending in sight..frequency of price increases is at unbelievable speed.”

Another commented, “When I see this kind of sign, I won’t even bother ordering, not to talk about adding…”

The image of the handwritten sign also made its way to Reddit, where one user humorously captioned it, “These hawker prices no longer ‘warm the cockles of my heart’…”

Still, some netizens defended the stall owners, pointing out that they are grappling with rising rents and higher ingredient costs and dealing with other financial burdens like utilities, staff wages, and maintenance expenses.

One netizen expressed, “Willing buyer, willing seller. They can set whatever prices they want. If you have no money to pay, you can choose not to buy. Stay home and cook for yourself. These days, rental is increasing like crazy and ingredient costs are also rising.”

Another netizen stated, “To be very fair to the stall, food costs are going up, having to charge $1 is actually still very reasonable already. And to tell you 5 pc is a lot better than they just whack one depending on their mood, helps to manage food costs better.

If you think that it’s too expensive and you cannot afford that $1, just don’t add extra cockles.”

Read also: S$8.20 for kaya toast set? — Netizen shocked at price, but Singaporeans tell him it’s normal at MBS