Malls go all out for Ramadhan and Idul Fitri

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The fasting month of Ramadhan and Idul Fitri are always festive moments in the capital with many shopping malls and department stores organizing special promotions and events.

Taman Anggrek Mall in West Jakarta, for example, is organizing "The Oasis: A Source of Life for Your Mind, Body and Soul" theme event in its shopping mall until Nov. 13 where shoppers are entertained with Arabian music, Art Rahat, Raffles Islamic Voice, Nasyid Acapella, Ramadhan Chamber Music, and the Progressive Rampak Beduk drum ensemble.

"One of our special performances will be a music group from the United States, Debu, which will perform pop modern Islamic songs on Oct. 29," Taman Anggrek Mall's public relations and communications assistant Susan Elistina told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

As befitting the theme of the oasis, the mall has decorated its shopping area with desert and oasis decorations, she said.

Meanwhile, Plaza Indonesia in Central Jakarta is employing the theme "Dazzling Style of Forgiving Moment" in its shopping mall where shoppers are entertained with a Ramadhan musical ensemble every Monday, Wednesday and Friday all through the month of October.

"We have also dressed up the shopping mall with Ramadhan themes, including ketupat decorations," Plaza Indonesia's information officer Aulia Fajrin said on Thursday.

The mall has also invited professional calligraphers to demonstrate their art to shoppers that is given away free.

Two more sessions of The Art of Calligraphy at Plaza Indonesia will be held on Oct. 22 and Oct. 29.

"Fitri di Ranah Minang" (Holy in Minang) is the theme chosen by Ciputra Mall in West Jakarta for the fasting theme this year.

The event, held until Nov. 6, includes competitions for best made Idul Fitri card with a West Sumatra theme on Oct. 23, and a children's Muslim fashion show on Oct. 30.

Ciputra Mall has also organized performances with distinct West Sumatra Islamic traditions such as a dance performance by the Savana group and an operetta staging West Sumatra folk tales called Malin Kundang.

"Have you bought new clothes for Lebaran (Idul Fitri) yet? Look, these are on sale," Ade, a writer at a fashion magazine asked a friend as they browsed the clothe racks at a Mall recently.

No worries; there are no end of sales and discounts at shopping malls and department stores in Jakarta this month.

At Taman Anggrek Mall, for example, many tenants are giving discounts of up to 75 percent this month, with Galeria department store having a store-wide sale of up to 50 percent, and a special weekend sale at Rimo department store of also up to 50 percent.

Yoana Vebrie, an advertising and promotion executive at the Metro Department Store said that they were also holding a store- wide promotion with discounts and special gift-with-purchase programs for some products.

"With a minimum purchase of Rp 800,000 for non-Metro Yours Card member, or Rp 500,000 for members, customers can get a handy pouch," she said, explaining that the promotion was for purchases made from Monday to Thursday only.

Special for shoppers during this fasting month, they can redeem their receipts with a break-fasting snack from Metro, Yoana said.