Bold strategy needed to attract potential customers<\/p>\n
By Rita A. Widiadana and Sri Wahyuni<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Shopping centers in Jakarta are racing to
\nupgrade their appearances and services to draw more tenants and,
\nmost importantly, customers.<\/p>\n
Plaza Indonesia, owned by PT Plaza Indonesia Realty, has set
\nup a strategy to improve services to both customers and tenants.<\/p>\n
\"We have just finished our total renovation project,\" Sylvia
\nR. Ratulangie, the corporate secretary of the company, said.<\/p>\n
After five years of operation, the management decided to
\nlaunch the project to improve the quality of the place, to change
\nits interior and tenant mix to make the shopping mall more
\nattractive. Currently Plaza Indonesia sets rental fee at US$50
\nper square meter.<\/p>\n
\"We offer a new shopping atmosphere,\" she assured.<\/p>\n
Anticipating growth in the shopping industry, the company
\nplans to construct an additional 24,500 square meters of retail
\nspace. This second phase of the project is expected to be
\ncompleted by the end of the year 2000. When it is finished, Plaza
\nIndonesia will have a cinema complex, a six-floor shopping
\ncenter, an apartment and office center and entertainment
\nfacilities.<\/p>\n
The company also plans to attract other anchor tenants, a
\nforeign chain department store, in addition to the Sogo
\nDepartment Store. \"It is very important to have more than two
\nanchor tenants, they attract visitors,\" Sylvia said.<\/p>\n
She admitted that the company must work hard to maintain its
\n300 tenants.<\/p>\n
\"Good communication with tenants and customers is our recipe
\nto making them feel at home here,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Special efforts are also made by the Pondok Indah Group which
\nowns and manages Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"It's our duty to make the mall convenient and interesting for
\nthe visitors,\" said Lina M. Husein, promotion division head of
\nthe company.<\/p>\n
Pondok Indah Mall opened on Oct. 26, 1991 and is one of the
\nmost popular malls in Jakarta. The mall, located next to the
\nPondok Indah Waterpark and Believe It or Not Museum, is best
\nknown as a teenage hangout.<\/p>\n
Occupying 6.3 ha, including parking space, the mall has 200
\ntenants as well as ATM services, restaurants, banks and smaller
\nshops. \"The rented area is fully occupied. There's no spare room
\nleft,\" Wibyakto, the deputy general manager of the mall, said .<\/p>\n
According to Wibyakto, several factors attract visitors to the
\nmall: prime location, design, careful mix of tenants, good
\nmanagement and convenience.<\/p>\n
Also important are the additional programs held for Christmas
\nand New Year, the mall's anniversary, Idul Fitri and school
\nholidays. The programs include exhibitions and art performances.
\nThe mall usually hires local and international personalities --
\nincluding Disney World characters -- during these shopping peaks.<\/p>\n
\"That's all we can do to attract people to the mall. The rest
\ndepends on how each tenant attracts shoppers to buy their
\nmerchandise,\" Lina postulated, adding that the mall spends Rp 800
\nmillion on additional programs.<\/p>\n
Mega Pasaraya is more aggressive. Considering itself a tourist
\ndestination as well as a recreational site, Mega Pasaraya in Blok
\nM labels itself as a total shopping center.<\/p>\n
\"A shopping center is not just a shopping place. We can make
\nit an entertainment as well as an information center,\" said Usman
\nJa'far, president of PT Pasaraya Nusakarya which operates Mega
\nPasaraya. Usman added that in order to give buyers more choices,
\nMega Pasaraya has opened Seibu, a Japanese retail business chain,
\nwhich aims its merchandise at the upper class.<\/p>\n
Mega Pasaraya also has a sports center, beauty saloons, a
\nfashion center, a food plaza, a computer game center and a
\nplayground. They plan to launch their Pasaraya Club, a club
\ndesigned to educate and provide information on a variety of day-
\nto-day things.<\/p>\n
\"We plan to launch it in March next year,\" Usman said, adding
\nthat visitors will be free to use all the facilities. The club,
\nsaid Usman, will have a library specializing in recreation and
\nhobbies.<\/p>\n
\"In the club, you can also learn how to cook or how to design
\nfashionable clothes,\" said Usman.<\/p>\n
Pasaraya's efforts apparently satisfy both the shoppers and
\ntheir tenants. Mrs Pitoyo, the owner of the Soto Sulung counter,
\nsaid that her counter brings her the highest turnover as compared
\nto her four other counters in several other shopping centers. She
\nearns between Rp 125,000 and Rp 150,000 a day. During weekends,
\nthe amount increases to Rp 250,000.<\/p>\n
\"This fact amazes me,\" Mrs Pitoyo exclaimed.<\/p>\n
Blok M Mall is another success story. Located under the Blok M
\nBus Terminal, the 44-hectare mall is bombarded with between
\n100,000 and 150,000 visitors a day. The shopping mall, managed by
\nPT Langgeng Ayom Lestari, tries to tempt the 300,000 people who
\npass-through the bus terminal everyday. A survey reveals that 40
\nto 50 percent of these people will go down to the mall to shop or
\nbrowse.<\/p>\n
Otje FW Sumarauw, public relations officer of Blok M Mall,
\nsaid the management thinks it necessary to organize special
\nprograms to attract people. The programs include song and karaoke
\nfestivals, dance performances and quizzes.<\/p>\n
Otje said that Blok M Mall has an occupancy rate of 95
\npercent. The tenants consist of 170 big and small stores. They
\noccupy the first and second floors. The plazas (Plaza I and Plaza
\nII) are occupied by 30 kiosks, 50 food counters and 35 small
\nshops. (swa\/raw)<\/p>",
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