'Pasar Lebaran Jogja' offers alternative shopping
'Pasar Lebaran Jogja' offers alternative shopping
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
It is common knowledge here that when Idul Fitri (the celebration
that marks the end of Ramadhan) comes around, shopping centers in
the city, especially those along Jl. Malioboro and Jl. Solo,
become very crowded.
The places are so busy that even to buy just a few packets of
instant noodles one has to queue for hours. Not to mention the
traffic jams along both these roads.
This situation inspired the provincial Trade, Industry,
and Cooperatives Office to open Pasar Lebaran Jogja
2004 (Jogja Lebaran Market 2004), at the
Jogja Expo Center (JEC) from Nov. 11 through Nov.
20, partly to reduce crowding during the
Idul Fitri celebrations, or Lebaran, as it is
known locally.
State Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) Suryadharma Ali officially opened the market
on Nov. 11. Over 100 traders are participating in the market.
Held in cooperation with the provincial Tourism Board
and the local association of SME owners, the
Lebaran market has on offer a variety of necessities for
celebrating Idul Fitri, including staple foods, fashion products,
electronic appliances and furniture.
All products on offer are at relatively lower
prices compared with those at regular markets --
mostly 10 percent cheaper -- but of equal quality.
"A five-kilogram sack of good-quality rice, for
example, is sold at Rp 15,000 here, while the same weight of
slightly lower-quality rice is sold for Rp 14,000," Siti, a
keeper of a staple food stall, told The Jakarta Post.
Apart from staple foods, other merchandise
at the Lebaran market includes a variety of
electronic goods such as cameras, tape recorders and
television sets. Various herbal medicines, traditional
medicines, and factory-made ones are also available at
the market -- not to mention souvenirs made from a variety of raw
materials and children's toys.
According to the head of Yogyakarta Trade, Industry, and
Cooperatives Office, Syahbenol, the Lebaran market
was held to provide a new shopping alternative
for local people and visitors, which is predicted to total around
one million this year.
According to Syahbenol, the market would hopefully create
business tourism opportunities in
the province, as well as provide a chance for the SMEs to
develop.
"We also want to remind people that they don't
have to go to Jl. Malioboro or Jl. Solo to shop. They
can do so here at the JEC," Syahbenol said.
Market organizing committee chairman Tazbir told The Jakarta
Post that the Lebaran market was targeted to achieve at least Rp
1.5 billion in transactions.
"The most transactions are expected from the
furniture sector," said Tazbir, expressing optimism
that the target would be fulfilled. Last year's Lebaran
market totaled Rp 800 million in which 60 traders participated.
To keep prices at affordable levels, the organizing
committee set a relatively lower rental fee
for booths -- a maximum of Rp 1 million per booth for the 10-day
market.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Suryadharma welcomed the
effort, saying that the event
could also serve as a promotion forum for SMEs
and shorten the distribution chain, making
it possible for them to sell their products cheaper.
"That way we will create a mutual benefit in which the
consumers can buy products at lower prices, while
the SMEs can promote their products," he said.
A buyer, Mifftahuddin, said that he was able to buy
what he needed to celebrate Idul Fitri at the
Lebaran market inexpensively, without compromising on quality.
"We also do not need to jostle and queue here, and I
can select what I need to buy in comfort,"
Mifftahuddin said.