Mega M to open in North Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Retail giant Mega M, owned by the Matahari Group, will open its first branch at the Mega Mall in Pluit, North Jakarta tomorrow.

"It is about time for us to open a store in the northern part of the city, especially considering that other areas of the city have already been inundated with stores," Herman Darmawan, Managing Director of PT Matahari Putra Prima, said at a press conference yesterday.

The new branch will be implementing a similar concept as the Mega M in Lippo Karawaci Mall in Tangerang, West Java, which has been attracting, on average, 50,000 visitors per weekend, said Herman.

The Karawaci branch reaps an average of Rp 10 billion (US$ 4.2 million) in monthly revenues, he added.

"We will be doing just fine if the new Mega M can make around Rp 100 billion a year, meaning that our principal will break even in one or two years," Herman said.

The Mega M store's uniqueness is owed to, in part, its supermarket-like method of service, where customers are free to roam around the while not being bothered by over-attentive shop attendants, which are prominent at other Matahari-owned stores, Herman added.

Besides Mega M, other stores owned by Matahari include Galleria, for the mid-to-upper class group, Matahari, for the general public and Super Ekonomi, geared for small-town residents. All Matahari outlets claim to prioritize local industries and merchandise sold in their shops.

North Jakarta Mayor Suprawito is scheduled to inaugurate the 1.75 hectare shop area tomorrow. The store's compound comprises four floors, making it the Pluit Mega Mall's major tenant.

Herman added that Mega M is the first store to open in the Pluit Mega Mall. Other stores are not scheduled to open until October. (14)