International brand names attract more shoppers

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.