Asemka Market Rises from the Grave, but Trader Conditions Are Unexpected

Pasar Pagi Asemka in Tambora, West Jakarta, has suddenly been bustling with visitors hunting for stationery in preparation for the 2026/2027 new school year. Based on monitoring by CNBC Indonesia on Tuesday (30/6/2026), various stationery items from books, pencils, pens, markers, pencil cases, correction fluid, to erasers are being sold in stationery shops. These goods are also being sold by seasonal traders setting up stalls along the Asemka flyover.

One stationery shop manager at Pasar Asemka, Roni, admitted that stationery sales have tended to decline recently, with turnover dropping by up to 50%. He said one of the causes of the decline in sales is the uncertain economic conditions in Indonesia. He also acknowledged that all sectors are facing similar pressures. “If you’re an employee, you know how much salary you receive each month, so the budget is clear. In trading, it’s uncertain,” he told CNBC Indonesia.

Roni has also tried his luck by opening a shop on a marketplace platform. Even so, sales in the online shop have not yielded optimal results. In other words, stationery sales both online and in physical stores are equally sluggish. “Each consignment note is also charged Rp 1,250 per note, not including the deductions (admin fees). The deductions are around 20%,” he complained. Roni further revealed that to attract more buyers online, sellers must participate in promotional programmes to attract marketplace users looking for good quality goods at affordable prices. The stationery products offered by Roni, such as books, pens, and pencil cases, come from agents, with some produced by local manufacturers and others imported. Prices vary, with Kiky brand notebooks priced around Rp 38,000, while Sinar Dunia (SIDU) brand notebooks are priced around Rp 45,000.

Elsewhere, seasonal trader Nugroho in the Asemka area said his stationery stall is often crowded with visitors just before the school holidays end. “Usually it gets busy when school is about to start. It gets busy about a week before. It’s not that busy yet now,” he said. He noted that in recent days, many visitors have been looking for stationery like books and pens, with a single customer typically buying two packs of notebooks and one pack of pens. He also claimed the stationery products he sells come from shops or agents, produced by both local and imported manufacturers. Nugroho prices his notebooks between Rp 30,000 and Rp 40,000 per pack, while pens range from Rp 15,000 to Rp 150,000 per pack. Colouring tools like crayons and coloured pencils are also sought after by parents of preschool and kindergarten children. Despite the crowd, Nugroho said he does not want to raise his selling prices for fear of burdening consumers.

Another seasonal stationery trader in the Asemka area, Budi, said sales have been visible over the last two days but cannot yet be described as brisk, with growth remaining limited. Usually, the number of buyers increases ahead of the new school year. “After the Covid-19 pandemic, stationery sales started to decline,” Budi revealed. He sells a pack of SIDU brand notebooks for Rp 45,000, containing 10 books with 38 pages each. For the BigBoss brand, he sells a pack for Rp 35,000, containing 10 books with 50 pages each. Budi also offers various other stationery items such as pens, pencils, coloured pencils, pencil cases, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and crayons.