Bargain hunting ahead of Idul Fitri

Hendarsyah Tarmizi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Almost all retail outlets, be they small stalls in traditional markets or world-class stores in modern shopping malls, are gearing up for this year's shopping season.

For most Indonesians, the big shopping season takes place in December, during which Muslims and Christians celebrate their biggest holidays, Idul Fitri and Christmas. Although there are several more weeks to go until the big holidays, the atmosphere is beginning to be felt in almost every corner of the city.

Buyers have started to crowd not only the shopping malls but also the garment centers such as Pasar Tanah Abang in Central Java and Pasar Pagi Mangga Dua in West Jakarta. Factory outlets, which have become a popular shopping alternative among young people, have also seen a growing number of customers over the past two weeks.

It can be difficult to find quality products at a good price, but if you know the secret and are willing to spend some extra time you can find quality products at good prices.

Muslims generally celebrate Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the fasting month, with family gatherings and visits with neighbors and relatives. Wearing new clothes, especially for children, has long been an Idul Fitri tradition. That's why shopping has become such an important prelude to the celebration.

Shopping at the mall has become common practice for most people, and it is not to difficult to find the clothes of your choice among the many outlets and stores at these places.

Prices are generally the same from one department store to the next. And big discounts for certain items are available at almost all stores, although some of them often use the "big price cut" scheme to lure buyers.

Shopping at a factory outlet can be fun as well. More importantly prices at these retail outlets are much lower, sometimes by as much as half, than at conventional stores. A wide range of famous branded products for men, women and children are available at these factory outlets, which are sometimes referred to as FO.

Factory Outlet stores have become a popular alternative for buying branded apparel, and could become a serious threat to conventional stores. These types of stores have become more and more popular in the country's larger cities such as Bandung, Jakarta and Surabaya due to their success in meeting the needs of customers -- good products at reasonable prices.

Bandung, where the FO retailing concept was first introduced here, has become a center of factory outlets, which attract numerous visitors to the city.

Factory outlets in many countries are owned and run by a garment manufacturer. In Indonesia, however, this is generally not the case. Most of the factory outlets popping up outside of Java operate independently. They generally buy apparel from local and overseas factories that are licensed to produce branded products. The clothes they buy are mostly export overruns or products that do not meet the strict quality standards.

But for ordinary buyers the products sold at these outlets are no different from those same items sold at major department stores. The only difference is the price. Clothes from Banana Republic, Esprit, Guess, Versace and other famous brands are sold for only between Rp 50,000 (about US$5.5) to Rp 75,000.

Where to find such deals in Jakarta? The number of retail outlets operating under the FO concept is growing in the capital. Millenia is among these outlets. It has successfully become one of several major FOs in Jakarta and operates several branches. It has branches in Taman Ria Senayan, on Jl. Sudirman in the Central Business District, on Jl. H. Agus Salim in Central Jakarta and another on Jl. Walter Monginsidi in South Jakarta.

There is also The Club Store, located in the Central Business District on Jl. Sudirman, and Big Buy Branded Clothing in several shopping malls, including Kelapa Gading, Cinere, Arion Plaza, ITC Mangga Dua, Lippo Cikarang and ITC Cempaka Mas.

Several other FOs have opened in Kemang and on Jl. Panglima Polim in South Jakarta. They include Rumah Manis, DePe, eSPe, Cheap 'n Chick and Rame.

If you are out shopping for gifts for relatives and friends, you may want to try the Tanah Abang and Mangga Dua garment markets.

Although most retailers in Tanah Abang market sell textile products of low quality, you still can find a large quantity of department store-quality clothes there. Blok F of the garment center, for example, specializes in the sale of good quality products. The prices are about 40 percent to 50 percent lower than at department stores.

Compared to the Tanah Abang market, shopping at the fully air- conditioned Mangga Dua garment center is much more comfortable. Besides being less crowded, there are a lot of security guards ready to help if you are in trouble. Most of the products are of good quality. Many department stores buy their clothes from this famous garment market. Prices are bit higher than in Tanah Abang but they are still lower than at department stores.

Traders at Tanah Abang and Mangga Dua generally request that you purchase at least three pieces form each type of clothing. So if you intend to buy Idul Fitri gifts for your relatives or your maids, these two markets are a good choice. But be sure to get their in the morning, because the markets get crowded in the afternoon. Have fun shopping and be aware of pickpockets!