When CNY and Ramadan meet, Your Business Needs a Game Plan

Introduction

2026 is shaping up to be one for the books because, for the first time in years, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya will fall just weeks apart, creating a festive season unlike anything Malaysia has ever experienced. And of course, this collision is going to happen over the course of the next few years until both events pass each other by.

So basically, 2 major celebrations happening back-to-back mean just one thing for businesses:

Double the orders, double the excitement (yaaaas!!!), and… 

…. double the logistics pressure. Oops!

From reunion dinners to sahur prep, home makeovers to gift-giving, Malaysians will be shopping earlier, faster, and more intensely than usual. This is a golden window to capture festive spending, but only if your business plans ahead

How Malaysia’s Festive Season Trends Are Changing In 2026 

In 2026, the Chinese New Year (17–18 February) and the start of Ramadan (18 February) are practically overlapping. While Chinese families prepare yee sang and bak kwa for reunion dinners, Muslim families will be rushing to stock up for Ramadan essentials.

This overlap will create:

    a. A longer, more intense shopping period

    b. High demand across multiple categories at once

    c. Shorter shipping windows due to public holidays

    d. More pressure on fulfilment and last-mile deliveries

Companies that start preparing now will be in the best position to maximise sales, avoid delays, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

4 Tips for Business Owners to Stay Ahead of the 2026 Festive Rush   

      1. Get ready for a surge in orders

With the Chinese New Year and Ramadan happening almost concurrently, you can expect a wave of orders like never before. Malaysians will be shopping earlier than usual, buying CNY outfits while also stocking up on kurma, Raya cookies, décor, and gifts, all in the same month. This overlap will push demand for apparel, home goods, festive hampers, and food items to record highs. 

That’s why businesses need to start preparing, like, RIGHT NOW. Stocking up your warehouse, organising your packing stations, securing enough manpower, and planning dispatch waves ahead of time will help you ride the early shopping momentum smoothly. With 84% of Malaysians planning to spend more during Ramadan and online searches for CNY treats already seeing a 3,000% surge in past years, 2026 will amplify this trend even further.

     2. Keep every order visible

During peak festive periods, Malaysians become extra anxious about deliveries, and for good reason. When someone orders a CNY tea set as a gift for their in-laws or a Raya hamper meant for their kampung home, the last thing they want is radio silence from the courier company while their Instagram notifications are blowing up with festive updates from their social circle.

In moments like these, tracking links become as important as the parcel itself. Businesses that offer clear, real-time updates give customers peace of mind, especially when they can check delivery progress during lunch breaks or while stuck in Federal Highway traffic jam. At the same time, having proper visibility on your backend helps you catch potential issues before they snowball. One delayed shipment during festive season can affect dozens of orders, potentially leading to multiple angry DMs. 

So, treat tracking as part of your customer experience; when shoppers feel informed and reassured, they’re far more likely to return.

        3. Stay one step ahead of delays

When CNY and Ramadan collide, delivery timelines can get a bit more challenging. On top of that, you’ll be dealing with long weekends, public holidays, massive balik kampung traffic jams, and staff taking leave for both celebrations. With fewer working days and heavier parcel loads, planning realistic timelines becomes critical. 

It’s far better to underpromise and overdeliver than to disappoint customers with missed cut-off dates. Building buffer time into your delivery schedule, prioritising orders by region, and coordinating with your logistics partner ahead of time can make a world of difference. A bit of smart scheduling now can save your business from a mountain of customer complaints later.

      4. Protect perishable and fast-moving goods

In a double-festive season, certain products become extremely time-sensitive. Food items like pineapple tarts, kuih kapit, kek lapis Sarawak, or even ready-made family meals must arrive fresh and in pristine condition (nobody wants to receive crumbled pastries, kan?).

To manage this, businesses need to map out which products require special handling services long before orders start flooding in. Coordinating with your warehouse team to label fragile, perishable, and urgent items properly, planning dispatch in batches, and arranging special handling services ahead of time can prevent costly mistakes. If not, a melted dessert or broken hamper at the height of festivities can quickly turn into a viral complaint on TikTok or a frustrated WhatsApp message you didn’t want to deal with.

Partner with Pos Malaysia For The Festive Rush

The double-festive season in 2026 will test every part of your business, from stock management to customer service to ensuring your team is ready to handle a much larger volume of orders than usual. With CNY and Ramadan happening almost back-to-back, even a small hiccup in deliveries can snowball into customer complaints, refunds, or late-night WhatsApp messages asking, “Boss, my parcel sampai ke belum?”

If you’re already imagining the chaos… don’t worry. You don’t have to navigate this season alone.

Pos Malaysia is built exactly for moments like this; when parcel volumes spike, timelines shrink, and every delivery becomes a race against the clock. Our nationwide coverage, special handling services, and smart digital tools help you stay organised even when orders are flying in faster than pineapple tarts can sell out.

Here’s how Pos Malaysia makes festive logistics easier:

a. FREE returns: No extra fees if deliveries fail or get held at customs.

b. FREE nationwide pickups: Skip the jam and let Pos Malaysia pick up from you.

c. Centralised shipment dashboard: Track, manage, and organise everything in one place.

d. Transparent pricing: No hidden charges, no “surprise” outskirt fees.

e. Global reach: Ship to 200+ countries with reliable delivery and tracking.

f. Affordable insurance add-ons: Protect fragile, high-value, and festive goods.

g. Real-time tracking + POD: Keep customers informed without chasing your team.

Whether you’re sending CNY hampers to Klang, kurma gift boxes to Sabah, corporate goodies to Penang, or bulk festive stock across the country, having a reliable partner makes all the difference.

So instead of fighting the double-festive rush on your own, let Pos Malaysia handle the heavy lifting.

Want a partner that helps you stay ahead? Now’s the best time to become a Pos Malaysia contract customer. Prepare early, stay in control, and make the 2026 festive overlap your best-performing season yet.  [link]