Matahari holds social activities
Matahari holds social activities
JAKARTA (JP): Matahari Department Stores, one of the country's
major retail business companies, is holding a series of social
activities, ranging from providing scholarships to students of
poor families to giving used clothes to street children, in
conjunction with its 40th anniversary.
The peak of the activities was highlighted at a ceremony at
Pasar Baru Galeria in Central Jakarta on Saturday by the handing
over of scholarships worth hundreds of millions of rupiah on
Saturday to 1,025 children of Matahari employees.
At least 802 of the scholarships, symbolically handed over to
three representatives, are for elementary students, 136 for
junior high schools and 87 for senior high school students.
At the ceremony the Matahari management also ran a blood
donation session involving 250 employees in cooperation with the
Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross. They also handed
over used clothes to street children living at the Ministry of
Social Services' Setia Kawan I and II shelter homes.
"The used clothes were collected from both the employees and
the company's suppliers," company executive Hari Darmawan said,
adding that Matahari would accept used clothes from the public
for street children until Dec. 31.
Hari said the company would continue to expand its operations
by opening three new outlets, in Cilegon, Sukabumi and Cianjur in
West Java, next year despite the monetary crisis.
He said that two other outlets had recently been opened in
Bogor in West Java and Samarinda in East Kalimantan following
major riots which rocked the two cities earlier this year.
Six Matahari stores were damaged and burned during the riots,
causing losses of Rp 80 billion (US$10 million).
He expressed confidence that customers would flock to the
department stores despite their falling purchasing power as
people would prioritize the food staples the stores provided
rather than clothes or home appliances.
"We are not afraid of any reduction in sales at all. Many
Indonesians are still rich and have big savings," he said.
"I'm sure that those who are not loaded are accustomed to low-
cost living. They could balance their spending between food and
other necessary goods," he added.
Matahari currently operates more than 70 outlets in 32 cities
across the country with total floor space of more than 600,000
square meters.
Hari also stressed there would be enough food and other goods
to meet pubic demand during the upcoming Christmas and Idul Fitri
holiday seasons.
"The stocks are sufficient, and the clothing ranges are still
in fashion," he said. (ivy)