Asemka Market Suddenly Bustling Ahead of New School Year

Pasar Asemka in Tambora, West Jakarta, has suddenly become crowded with visitors ahead of the 2026/2027 new school year. The market is seeing increased activity as people begin searching for stationery and other school supplies. Various items such as notebooks, pens, markers, pencil cases, erasers, and sharpeners are now being widely displayed in shops. However, seasonal traders report that sales have not yet reached their peak. Budi, a seasonal stationery trader, noted that while visitor numbers have increased over the past two days, sales cannot yet be described as booming. He sells a pack of SIDU brand notebooks for Rp 45,000, with each pack containing 10 books of 38 sheets. The BigBoss brand is sold at Rp 35,000 per pack of 10 books with 50 sheets. Another trader, Nugroho, stated that his stall usually gets busy about a week before school starts. He observed that customers typically buy two packs of notebooks and a pack of pens. Nugroho also mentioned that he sells both locally made and imported stationery, with local pencil cases priced at Rp 35,000 and imported ones at Rp 65,000. Ian, another seasonal seller, confirmed that while the market is currently frequented by both resellers and retail consumers, sales have not yet surged. He remains optimistic that sales will increase as the start of the school term approaches, noting that the SIDU brand remains the most sought-after by customers.