Electronics Sales in Glodok Slump, Traders Warn Buildings Could 'Die'

The Harco Glodok area, once renowned as one of Jakarta’s largest electronics trading centres, is now increasingly quiet and deserted. Observations on Monday (29/6/2026) revealed that rows of shophouses in Harco Glodok are now choosing to open online stores as well, following a drastic drop in the number of visitors coming to shop in person. This prolonged quiet period has triggered complaints from local electronics traders, as the dwindling number of visitors has directly impacted their sales turnover. The situation is forcing traders to survive by relying solely on the loyalty of their remaining regular customers. Based on CNBC Indonesia’s monitoring, Harco Glodok still offers a variety of electronic goods such as televisions, sound systems, speakers, printers, laptops, computers, PlayStations, lamps, rice cookers, blenders, mixers, and other items. Despite the wide range of products on offer, the shops remain quiet and empty. One electric pump machine trader, Peter, admitted that he now relies on sales through online marketplaces even though he still maintains a physical shop in Harco Glodok. He stated that if traders are not savvy in seeking opportunities, achieving success in selling products will be increasingly difficult. ‘For us here, this entire building hopes for online sales. If there were no online sales, this building would be dead. Just look, no one even passes by,’ he said when met by CNBC Indonesia on Monday (29/6/2026). Moving to another shop, a sound system shopkeeper named Arie stated that sales at his place appear erratic. There are times when sales of sound systems drop, but at other times they actually increase. Arie’s shop is mostly visited by loyal customers who are used to buying electronic goods directly at Harco Glodok. ‘Sales depend on the situation, sometimes they drop, sometimes they rise. It’s uncertain, but thank God there are always buyers,’ he explained. Another electronics trader, Marco, admitted he actively sells laptops. However, the sales trend for laptops in his shop has been quiet so far, with only around a dozen units sold per month. The most sought-after laptops by buyers are second-hand or used ones priced around Rp3 million. New laptops also have enthusiasts, with a selling price of around Rp6.5 million. ‘I wouldn’t say sales are good, because most people shop online now,’ he said on Monday (29/6/2026). Unlike other traders, Marco chooses to continue selling in a physical shop. Besides being able to see the condition of the goods directly, visitors can also avoid potential fraud. ‘Because we can see the goods directly, at least you won’t get scammed, and you know where the shop is. With online shopping, often there is no physical shop, and they just use a name from here (Glodok). That’s the problem (the fraudsters),’ Marco said. Seeing these conditions, Marco has chosen to reduce the amount of stock in his shop. In addition, he also conducts market research on what goods are still in demand by the public so that his sales can improve again. Another electronics trader at Harco Glodok, Iwan, admitted that his sales turnover tends to shrink. The reason is that visitors rarely come to look for electronic goods directly in the shop, considering that many online shops now offer these goods at cheaper prices. Because of this, Iwan has reduced his stock of electronic goods. He also assesses that people currently tend to choose to buy only everyday electronic items, such as light bulbs. Conversely, electronic goods such as mixers, blenders, and rice cookers are difficult to sell. In fact, in a month, these goods may not sell at all. Moreover, during the 2026 World Cup event, not many people bought set-top boxes (STB) from Iwan’s shop. This is because many people already own digital TVs after analogue TV broadcasts were switched off in 2022. ‘Not really, now people have already bought digital TVs. Back when the analogue switch-off first happened, yes, many bought them. But now, not so much,’ Iwan concluded.