Jakarta Great Sales '97 opens throughout city
Jakarta Great Sales '97 opens throughout city
JAKARTA (JP): Jakartans can find more tempting discounts now
because Jakarta Great Sales '97 begins today at 50 shopping
centers and malls in conjunction with the city's' 470th
anniversary.
The one-month event also simultaneously coincides with the
30th annual Jakarta Trade Fair and the annual school holidays.
Discounts, which range from 5 percent to 70 percent, are offered
by 1,140 vendors and retailers.
The shopping sales season was opened yesterday by Governor
Surjadi Soedirdja at Mal Taman Anggrek in Slipi, West Jakarta.
The opening, which was enlivened by traditional dances as well
as modern ones, was also attended by chief coordinator Peter
Sondakh, actress Rae Sita Supit, fashion designer Poppy Dharsono
and artist Guruh Soekarno Putra, son of the late president
Sukarno.
Surjadi said the discounts would definitely attract Jakarta
shoppers and boost the city's service industry.
"Around 65 percent of city revenues come from the service
sector," he said, adding that Jakartans should be proud of local
products whose quality is as good as imported products.
He also said that Jakarta would be a favorite tourist
destination and trade center before the free trade era of 2003.
Besides prestigious shopping malls such as Sarinah and Senayan
Plaza, other shopping centers, which usually sell
local products, also offer competitive prices.
Those markets include hundreds of kiosks and department stores
in Jatinegara Market, East Jakarta, Pasar Minggu and Pasar
Cipulir in South Jakarta, Bird Market in Jl. Pramuka, Pasar Senin
in Central Jakarta and Rawa Bening in Bekasi.
Sondakh, who is also the president director of Hero
Supermarket, acknowledged that Jakarta Great Sales followed the
example of sales events in Singapore.
"Salespeople in Singapore are very knowledgeable about the
products they offer," he said.
He added that organizers would try to improve the quality of
salespeople.
Sondakh added that the Singapore government fully supported
similar sales events there to increase the city-state's revenue.
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