Market Shopping: Rp100,000 Isn't Enough

JAKARTA — A number of traders at Pasar Waru in Lagoa, Koja, North Jakarta, report that buyers have started to reduce their purchases as prices of several staple foods have risen since Eid al-Fitr 2026. Hendri, 45, a spice vendor at Pasar Waru, said buyers are no longer purchasing in their usual quantities. ‘The decline is ongoing. If anything, it's capacity-based. People should be buying a kilogram, but they're buying half. So in terms of reducing volume, it's being cut,’ he told Kompas.com on Friday, 22 May 2026. ‘Right now, basically the price of almost all goods is high,’ he added. Hendri said he often hears complaints from customers who feel their daily expenditure is increasing. ‘What they say is, “shopping at the market with Rp 100,000 isn't enough,”’ he continued. Similar complaints were voiced by vegetable seller Jaelani, 40. He said the number of buyers at his stall is now far lower than before. Jaelani explained that the majority of his customers are small traders such as warteg owners, nasi uduk sellers, and fried snack vendors. He said they are now starting to reduce their purchases. ‘If they are quiet and not going, it means they are cutting back on shopping. The daily shopping rule is now every two days,’ he said.