Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Brands Invade Jakarta, Premium Malls Become Hotly Contested
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Jakarta’s retail market is currently exhibiting an intriguing phenomenon. While mid-to-lower class shopping centres are still struggling to reach pre-pandemic occupancy levels, high-end malls are facing the opposite issue: a shortage of space.
The phenomenon of tenant waiting lists has become a common sight in elite corridors such as Senayan City, Plaza Indonesia, Plaza Senayan, Pondok Indah Mall, and Central Park.
This dynamic is primarily driven by one key force: the aggressive entry of brands from China, Japan, and South Korea.
According to the latest data from Colliers Indonesia, the total supply of retail space in Jakarta reaches 5 million square metres.
When including the Bodetabek region, this figure surges to 8.3 million square metres. However, this large number does not mean space is available to everyone.
In the premium mall category, occupancy rates have surpassed 90%. This high occupancy creates a snowball effect.
The fuller a mall becomes, the higher its visitor traffic, and the greater its appeal to international retailers seeking entry.
“The current high interest and demand from prospective tenants, both local and foreign, nearly exceeds the available space. As a result, prospective tenants are on waiting lists to occupy these malls,” Ferry told Kompas.com on Tuesday (14/4/2026).
This space limitation is most significantly recorded in high-end malls located in the CBD areas, South Jakarta, North Jakarta, and West Jakarta.
This situation gives building owners a very strong bargaining position to conduct strict curation of tenants.
The entry of these East Asian brands is not happening by chance. There is a shift in expansion strategies that is far more measured than a decade ago.
Ferry explained that whereas expansions were previously based on location intuition, data is now the primary consideration.
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