International brand names attract more shoppers
Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta
As the holiday season draws closer and the festive atmosphere fills the air, many international brand outlets have started luring shoppers by offering discount on selected items of up to 50 percent. This strategy normally receives a great response from shoppers, especially those with discerning tastes.
Most of the outlets are located in upscale malls situated at fashionable areas, such as Mal Pondok Indah, Plaza Senayan and Pasaraya Grande in South Jakarta. There are also Plaza Indonesia in Central Jakarta, Mal Taman Anggrek in West Jakarta and Mal Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta. They offer the finest clothes, lingerie, shoes, bags, and accessories such as glasses, necklaces, bracelets, etc., with prices ranging from Rp 100,000 up to Rp 38 million.
For quite some time now, well-to-do Indonesians have not needed to go abroad to purchase top-of-the-range branded products such as Christian Dior, Prada, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Celine, and Hugo Boss.
Whether there is a year-end sale or not, lovers of luxury brands thrive on browsing in the city's shopping arcades and designer outlets. They pay attention not only to the style, cut, material and color of their clothes, but also the most important thing for them -- the brand. They do not mind spending millions of rupiah just for some clothes, a coat or even a bag or shoes.
These shoppers crave the sense of exclusivity provided by frequent the line changes offered by these stores.
"Buying clothes for me is no longer a question of basic necessity. It's part of my lifestyle. I don't mind buying clothes or accessories with prices slightly higher than average as long as I can make others notice and that no one will be wearing the same thing when I go somewhere," said Duma, a young executive.
Amidst growing international brand consciousness among the country's middle and upper-income brackets, many world fashion names, such as Guess, Marks & Spencer, U2 and Giordano, have opened stores in Jakarta.
At the same time, some of the world 's most popular children's wear brands, like Hush Puppies and Osh Kosh B'Gosh, also offer fashionable and contemporary products for kids, including accessories and shoes.
Many brands that target young people also have outlets here, including Nautica, a world famous American brand that strikes a perfect balance between classic design and innovation.
Spanish brands Mango and Zara, and Miss Sixty, Energie and fcuk from England also aim their products at young people.
Mango and Zara present a good range of softly structured designs. They also provide executive wear in contemporary designs like iridescent jackets and boot cut pants, which are mostly suitable for those in the creative line. They also have accessories that include trendy bags, chokers, belts, shoes and boots. A T-shirt from Mango in Plaza Senayan costs Rp 79,000 while an overcoat can cost up to Rp 2 million. A plaited skirt in Zara goes for around Rp 1.1 million, a blouse for Rp 600,000 and a belt for around Rp 200,000.
However, the year-end sales are usually a great help to those who are fashion conscious but on tight budgets. "It's time for me to buy branded products now when some outlets offer good discounts. Normally, I would have to do the math first before purchasing them," said Andika, a college student. He was busy browsing through some T-shirts and accessories at Nautica -- which is currently offering 40 percent discounts -- at Plaza Indonesia.
Some Indonesian designers also produce their own branded products, such as Biyan by Biyan Wanaatmadja; Ghea by Ghea S. Panggabean, Sebastian by Sebastian Gunawan; Musa by Musa Widyatmodjo; (X),S,M,L by Biyan; Votum by Sebastian Gunawan; and RVG by Ronald V Gaghana. Meanwhile, Indonesian garment producers also offer fine products under the Accent, et cetera, and Country Fiesta brands.
Local designers' boutiques are found in the Kemang and Kebayoran areas of South Jakarta as well as major shopping malls and department stores. One of these is Mall Kelapa Gading 3, which has an array of boutiques featuring the creations of 32 prominent Indonesian designers.
The elegant boutique-style shops offer beautiful dresses as well as modern evening wear, including batik, ethnic clothes, casual and office wear, evening/party gowns, cocktail wear and wedding dresses, with the price range being between Rp 160,000 and Rp 15 million. These boutiques also offer modern and traditional accessories, such as uniquely crafted bracelets, earrings, necklaces and other types of jewelry.