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.