Jakarta Great Sale ignored due to World Cup fever

Leo Wahyudi S, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The annual 2002 Jakarta Great Sale has not been able to lure many visitors despite the tempting offer of discounts of up to 70 percent. Many found that the event had nothing new to offer but others pointed to the ongoing 2002 soccer World Cup in South Korea and Japan as a reason for lack of interest.

"Since the event began on May 31, fewer and fewer consumers have come to shop," said Neni, a shop assistant at Sarinah department store on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

"Most of our goods on offer are men's clothes but most men in the city were busy watching the soccer," she said.

However, Sarinah Promotion Manager, Bowo Susanto, claimed that the department store had experienced an increase in revenue of between 10 percent and 20 percent since the Great Sale began on June 14.

"We still have to monitor further the total sales to get the exact figures and the impact of the discounts," he said.

Fewer people were seen walking or window-shopping at Sarinah and Plaza Indonesia, including at Sogo department store, located at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle during the World Cup match featuring Brazil against England, which was won by Brazil 2-1, on Friday.

Instead, food courts, cafes and electronics counters were full, with people gathering in front of television sets broadcasting the match live.

Some visitors did not find anything special on offer at the Great Sale.

"I think there's nothing very special offered for us as customers," a visitor said at the Sogo department store.

Most visitors at both shopping malls were employees from nearby offices along the street. Most of them came only to have lunch and buy groceries.

Ade, a store supervisor at Sogo, admitted that the store had yet to record a significant increase in customers.

"But the figure is slightly higher during the weekends," she said.

The Great Sale organizing committee has tried to attract more buyers by placing advertisements in the print media and promotional banners decorating the counters and aisles.

The event, which will end on July 14, is staged in conjunction with the city's 475th anniversary. Thirty-three shopping malls, 16 retail outlets and 17 hotels across Jakarta have joined the Great Sale.

The organizers themselves expressed hopes to book a total turnover of about Rp 3.6 trillion (US$417.4 million), a 14 percent increase from last year's revenue.