[26.02.17] Dubai Chewy Cookie Craze Fades… Small Business Owners Struggle With Unsold Inventory

Dubai Chewy Cookie Craze Fades… Small Business Owners Struggle With Unsold Inventory

📍Convenience store entry and hygiene concerns drive demand down; ingredient prices plunge

The popularity of the “Dubai Chewy Cookie,” once sold out daily, is rapidly cooling. Small business owners who joined the trend now face mounting losses as inventory remains unsold, while falling ingredient prices highlight the short life cycle of viral dessert trends.

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🔹 “Even at Clearance Price, It Won’t Sell”
Posts from small business communities say cookies remain unsold even at heavy discounts. Owners report increasing waste and shrinking customer visits.

One seller said ingredients purchased at peak prices are now difficult to recover in cost, while another noted that long waiting lines and purchase limits have disappeared.

Some merchants added the dessert still sells but no longer attracts crowds.

🔹 Falling Ingredient Prices
The slowdown is visible in raw material prices. Unsalted pistachios dropped to about half their previous price within a month.

Pistachio spreads reached record low prices, and marshmallow prices fell more than 70% from peak levels, indicating oversupply and weakening demand.

🔹 Inventory Appears Across the City
Stores in major Seoul districts now show remaining stock on tracking services once used to locate sold-out products. Second-hand marketplaces also list finished cookies and ingredients at discounted prices.

Analysts view this as a typical decline phase of a viral consumer trend.

🔹 Entry of Large Retailers
Industry observers attribute the shift partly to major convenience store chains launching their own versions. Consumers increasingly prefer standardized quality and hygiene management from large retailers.

🔹 Hygiene Complaints Increase
Food safety complaints were also reported, with hygiene management issues the most common. Cases of unlicensed homemade sales in apartment communities, resale platforms, and event stalls were identified.

Authorities issued administrative guidance in many cases. Complaint data show a sharp increase after late last year, reaching over 100 cases in January and accounting for about 6% of all dessert-related complaints.

One-line summary : As the Dubai chewy cookie trend fades, unsold inventory, falling ingredient prices, and hygiene concerns are emerging simultaneously.