Discounts boost major department stores' sales
Discounts boost major department stores' sales
JAKARTA (JP): Department stores are enjoying big revenues these days and competing with each other to attract more buyers as Christmas and New Year near.
Discounts are still the most attractive way to lure buyers. Discounts between 12 and 50 percent have been slapped on everything from food to footwear.
The ploy has apparently been successful in doubling the number of visitors and increasing sales. Thousands of people have jostled their way into stores since the middle of the month.
Besides Christmas shopping, they were loath to miss out on the sales.
Matahari Group, which has 25 of its 71 stores in Greater Jakarta, has drawn more buyers with a month-long sale.
The store's assistant public relations manager, Sasha Rinasanty, said on Tuesday that Matahari has projected increased sales of up to 50 percent.
"Sales are expected to increase between 30 and 50 percent from last year," Sasha said, adding that research shows that the outlets are visited by one million people a day.
She expects Rp 1.4 trillion in sales this year, or Rp 600 billion more than last year.
Sasha said that the Jakarta outlets are expected to be the biggest contributors.
Golden Truly department store is also offering discounts at its six outlets in Jakarta.
A housewife claiming to be Golden Truly fanatic said that the shop provided vouchers for buyers who spent a certain amount of money. "This has become a special offer to us buyers," said the woman, who was planning to get new shoes with the vouchers she had collected.
Golden Truly Director H.E. Dachlan, said that the management expects sales to rise 15 percent with their 12-to-22 percent discount tactic.
"We expect sales to reach Rp 13 billion in December," Dahlan said, adding that the shops usually collect Rp 12 billion a month.
Hero, which has 18 supermarkets in the city, expects a 30 percent increase in sales stemming from their offer of prices between 10 and 30 percent lower than original prices.
Assistant marketing manager of PT Hero Supermarket, Priatna Suciono, said that with a total of 3,000 visitors per day, this month's turnover is expected to increase by between 10 and 30 percent.
"This month's sales has increased 30 percent because of the discount," he said, but refused to give more details.
He said Christmas and New Year's parcels are the main product offered at special prices.
"The supermarket is ready to send 10,000 parcels to customers in the capital," Priatna said, adding that the number of orders for parcels has increased by 25 percent from 8,000 last year.
The Makro trade center, which is opened to members only, the increase in the number of visitors has not made a difference.
"We purse a total of Rp 200 million from each store a day, or Rp 6 billion per month," Effendi Ibnoe, Makro's human resources and public relations director said.
Effendi said that the daily sales of Makro's four stores dropped last month due to rainy days. However the stores expected a 20 percent increase in the daily sales during the peak seasons of Christmas, New Year and Idul Fitri.
Basuki Ismael, Makro's industrial relations manager, said the trade center has 50,000 members. "But only 20,000 are active members who visit the stores twice a month and spend an average of Rp 150,000 each month," he said. (yns/03/29/sur)