Garment traders expect big sales

Garment traders expect big sales

Emmy Fitri and Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the countdown to the Idul Fitri begins, demand for Muslim
apparel and accessories has increased by 50 percent at the retail
level and by 60 percent at the wholesale level at the Tanah Abang
market in Central Jakarta.

Several retailers and wholesalers said on Monday that a sales
hike was likely in the one or two weeks prior to the Idul Fitri.

However, the increase may not exceed last year's, as large-
scale buyers from other regions reverse their decisions to buy
stock due to numerous incidents of flooding and landslides in
several areas in Central Java and the decline in customers'
purchasing power, according to Ina, 55, one of the Muslim apparel
wholesalers.

At the retail level, a price hike, ranging up to 10 percent,
would likely be imposed two weeks before Idul Fitri, when the
demand would reach its peak.

"The increase, usually 10 percent, might be imposed two weeks
before the Idul Fitri, as shoppers start to get caught up in
buying new clothes for their children or just for gifts", said
Tanuwirya, 37, a retailer of Muslim accessories.

The Muslim clothes and accessories that are in highest demand
include those for children, the baju koko (Muslim shirt for men),
mukena (ladies' cloak worn at prayer), sarong, sajada (praying
mat), and jilbab (veil).

Separately, in several markets retail traders are witnessing
sluggish sales of Muslim wear and other garment products compared
to the previous year, when even before the Ramadhan sales had
risen significantly.

The traders, however, expected sales to jack up around a week
before the end of Ramadhan.

"I don't expect many sales during these days as people will
flock to the clothes market and buy clothes only for Idul Fitri
and not for the fasting month," said M. Sabar, a trader at the
Mayestik market in South Jakarta.

He observed that, for the fasting month, people would spend
more of their money on meals than on clothes.

In his shop, the Sabar Jaya Busana, children's Muslim clothing
had been selling fairly well before Ramadhan, and he had been
able to sell about 20 items of the clothing, priced at between Rp
35,000 and Rp 75,000 each, in the week before the fasting month.

"That's good because we can sell up to 20 pieces (of
children's wear) in a week," Sabar told The Jakarta Post on
Monday.

Retail traders like Sabar shop for their stock at the
wholesale market in Mangga Dua or Tanah Abang and then sell the
merchandise at prices that carry a mark up of between Rp 2,000
and Rp 5,000.

Sabar said he only planned to shop for new stock later, in the
middle of Ramadhan, as he first needed to study the trends and
the buying power of his customers.

In Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, although the ground floor of
the three-story market was packed, only a few customers were
seriously shopping for clothes at about noon on Sunday. Most of
them were only window shopping.

"Here people like to shop for fruit, vegetables or food
supplies like rice, ketan (gluten rice) and sugar," Pujiati, a
shop keeper said.

"I've been serving at this shop since 9 a.m., but none of them
buy our things. They are all just looking or passing by," she
said.

She expected that sales of clothes and Muslim wear would
increase a few days before the end of Ramadhan.

But she added that only children's Muslim clothing was likely
to sell well.