Price hike

Price hike

It certainly does not pay to be a "paleface" when shopping at what is, supposedly, Jakarta's most prestigious (not one of a chain) supermarket.

A friend of mine recently overheard the proprietor of this establishment, when questioned about an apparently sharp price increase of a certain product, to remark, "So what? westerners will pay anything!" That, I suppose is the attitude of mind that accounts for a recent price hike for a pack of Ryvita from Rp 7,200 to Rp 10,150, and a large jar of Sanka from Rp 13,000 to Rp 19,000. Well this westerner is not prepared to be ripped off in this way, and I suggest that my fellow westerners, who patronize this particular emporium, register their protests against this cynical attitude by boycotting the place. Most of what they require can be bought in the larger stores of the main supermarket chains, anyway. The rip-off prices would soon fall to an acceptable level.

James Richards

Jakarta