SALES are holding steady for Singapore’s artisanal chocolatiers this festive season – yet this is a disappointment compared to start-of-year hopes, while margins have also shrunk due to rising business costs.

Sales in November and December are set to be on a par with or slightly exceed 2022’s numbers, local chocolate-makers told The Business Times.

This outlook is not as cheery as once expected. At the start of 2023, the removal of pandemic-era restrictions and resumption of inbound travel made for rosy forecasts.