Ahead of the 2026\/2027 school year, Pasar Pagi Asemka in Tambora,\nWest Jakarta, has been bustling with residents seeking stationery\nsupplies. Based on observations on Tuesday (30\/6\/2026), various items\nsuch as books, pencils, pens, markers, pencil cases, sharpeners,\ncorrection fluid, and erasers were on sale. These goods were not only\navailable in office stationery shops but also along the Asemka flyover\nunderpass, offered by seasonal traders.<\/p>\n
One such seasonal trader, Ian, admitted that stationery sales had not\nyet been particularly strong despite a flow of visitors. Nevertheless,\nhe hoped the products would sell better in the coming days. Ian\u2019s stall\nis frequented by both resellers, who buy in bulk or by the dozen for\nresale, and regular consumers purchasing smaller quantities like two to\nfive packs of notebooks for personal or school use. \u2018But the one that\u2019s\nalready popular or that people already know is just the SIDU brand.\nSinar Dunia is the most popular,\u2019 he said. Ian explained he is\naccustomed to selling different high-demand products seasonally; for\ninstance, he sells fireworks during the New Year holiday period and\nstationery during the school holidays. He noted that the stationery he\nsells includes both locally made and imported products. A locally made\npencil case box is priced at Rp 35,000, while the imported equivalent is\nmore expensive at around Rp 65,000.<\/p>\n
Another seasonal trader, Roni, reported that stationery sales at his\nshop have recently declined, with turnover dropping by as much as 50%.\nHe attributed the slump partly to the uncertain economic conditions in\nIndonesia, acknowledging that all sectors are facing similar pressures.\n\u2018Employees know exactly how much salary they receive each month, so\ntheir budget is fixed. For traders, it\u2019s unclear,\u2019 he said. Roni has\nalso tried selling on marketplace platforms, but his online shop has not\nyielded optimal results. \u2018Every single receipt is charged Rp 1,250, not\nincluding the admin fee, which is around 20%,\u2019 he explained. According\nto Roni, to attract many buyers, sellers must participate in promotional\nprogrammes. The stationery he offers, including books, pens, and pencil\ncases, is sourced from agents and includes both locally manufactured and\nimported goods. His prices vary; for example, Kiky brand notebooks are\npriced around Rp 38,000, while SIDU brand notebooks are around Rp\n45,000.<\/p>\n
Loyal customer Junaenah said she always makes time to visit Pasar\nAsemka during school holidays, having been a long-time patron. She cited\nthe wide variety of stationery and affordable prices as the main\nreasons. \u2018Every holiday, thank God, I make it here to buy school\nsupplies, like covers, books, and all the stationery. The prices are\nbetter compared to regular shops,\u2019 she said. The Cengkareng resident\nnoted that while a single notebook might cost Rp 6,000 at a regular\nstationery shop, she only needs to pay Rp 3,500 at Pasar Asemka,\nclaiming a 50% price difference. Another loyal customer, Deddy, prefers\nshopping at Asemka because the prices are much cheaper than at\nbookstores near his home in Teluk Gong, North Jakarta. \u2018The price is\ncheap, indeed cheaper than elsewhere. At my place in Teluk Gong, it\u2019s Rp\n55,000 per pack; here it\u2019s Rp 48,000 per pack with 50 sheets,\u2019 he\nexplained. With such a significant price gap, Deddy regularly buys\nstationery at Asemka, which he then distributes to orphans in need. He\nconfirmed he uses his personal funds, earned from his salary as a driver\nat a Jakarta-based company.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asemka-market-rises-from-the-grave-filled-with-seasonal-traders-and-buyers-1782892309", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }