Indonesians rank among top ten foreign spenders
SINGAPORE (JP): An Rp 250,000 exit tax and an abundance of sprawling shopping centers at home don't deter Indonesian shoppers from hunting for bargains abroad.
They still swarm into Singapore, particularly on the weekends. Most retailers know this all too well.
Adeline Kong, public relations executive of Takashimaya Singapore Ltd., said Indonesians are among the top 10 foreign clients at the Ngee Ann City, a huge department store complex on Orchard Road which her company manages.
"Indonesia ranked second after Japan according to our latest statistical data," Kong told The Jakarta Post.
An internal survey found that foreigners made up about 20 percent of buyers at the Takashimaya department store between January and June.
Indonesians, Kong said, accounted for 5.8 percent of the total money spent by customers in the six-month period. She would not reveal how much was spent in total.
Most Indonesians shop on weekends for brand name clothes, jewelry and household products, she said.
Daniel Ong, a marketing and promotion executive at Larry Jewelry store, said he also counts on Indonesian customers.
"One out of every 50 buyers is Indonesian tourist," he told the Post.
Larry Jewelry is the sole regional distributor for Lazare Diamonds of the Lazare Kaplan International Inc. in Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. The chain runs three stores in Singapore, one of them on Orchard Road.
Ong said most Indonesians go for mid-range to expensive jewelry. "They prefer jewelry with colorful stones rather than diamonds."
Secret
Ong said his shop counts some known Indonesian figures and celebrities among its regular patrons. Their names are a closely guarded secret.
Penelope Phoon, executive director of the Singapore Retailers Association, also said most Indonesians spend their money on expensive items.
"Most Indonesian come here for brand name products," she said.
Ridwan Abdullah, an Indonesian the Post met while he was walking along Orchard Road with his wife and two children, said it was not his first time in Singapore.
"I have been here for four times just to buy brand name products," he said. "I like shopping in Singapore, because it is not far from Indonesia," he added.
Three young Indonesian girls spotted looking at ladies' apparel in a big department store on Orchard Road said they came to Singapore to find the latest in fashion.
"Instead of buying clothes in Jakarta, we buy some during our vacation here," Lia, one of the girls, said.
Birds
While most Indonesians come for shopping, Singapore's other tourist attractions are also reaping the benefits from big- spending Indonesian tourists.
Phua Shee Ling, the public relations officer at Sentosa Island, confirmed many Indonesians visit the island.
"Most of them come and stay overnight on the island to see a wide range of attractions here," she said.
The public relations officer at the Jurong Bird Park said Indonesians flock to the facility.
Hassan Kasim, corporate communications officer of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, said that while there are no specific figures on the number of Indonesians visiting Singapore, he believes that Indonesians rank quite high among the foreign visitors who come here.
For some unexplained reason, Singapore official statistics group all ASEAN visitors into one category.
"In my opinion, Indonesia ranks second after Japan in terms of arrivals by individual country," Hassan said. (imn)