Sarinah: From Department Store to Centre for Cultural Preservation

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Sarinah holds a long history as one of Indonesia’s first modern shopping centres. To this day, Sarinah remains a favourite spot for the public to shop, dine, or simply stroll around.

Currently, Sarinah has rapidly evolved into a cultural experience centre that prioritises cultural values, product curation, and the empowerment of local SMEs. This transformation keeps Sarinah relevant amid changing times and the emergence of other modern shopping centres across the country.

PT Sarinah’s President Director, Raisha Syarfuan, explained that behind Sarinah’s transformation lie several considerations. In fact, management had to make some unconventional decisions.

“But now, with the current conditions and Sarinah’s vision as well, which I believe must be changed into a cultural experience centre, that’s where several decisions had to be made,” Raisha stated at the Top Women Fest 2026, quoted on Tuesday (28/4/2026).

Raisha said one step taken by Sarinah is to scale up or expand the business while prioritising integrity. This effort is carried out through empowering SME actors so their products can be displayed at Sarinah.

“We talk about the artisans – the mothers in villages in eastern Indonesia, the women and men batik artisans – so we can display their goods with higher integrity. So for Sarinah to become a cultural experience centre, we have carried out some much faster curations,” she explained.

In addition, Raisha described how they have curated the products offered at Sarinah in detail and comprehensively. From there, Sarinah sources directly from artisans and local brands that have integrity towards their own goods, both in terms of authenticity and design.

However, it should be remembered that all product designs are certainly inspired by other products, so nothing is truly original in the literal sense. Authenticity comes when SME actors are confident in their products. For example, the mothers in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) and Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) are optimistic about their ikat weaving results.

Raisha explained that every business decision aimed at advancing Sarinah is always ensured through in-depth discussion processes. Usually, Sarinah’s management relies on data combined with qualitative assessments before making decisions. This approach is also applied by Raisha during the product curation process at Sarinah.

“So if I may share, a year ago when I joined Sarinah, there were about 1,200 brands. That was very strong in fashion, wastra, food, and others. Then I asked, out of these 1,200, which are the best? From that curation, we finally used data. Of course, with data we know the top brands that help us the most in terms of revenue,” she clarified.

On the other hand, as a woman, Raisha admitted that she does not only rely on instinct and heart in leading Sarinah. More than that, women’s tendency to be sensitive also influences every step she takes in leading the company. However, it is this trait that enables her to guide Sarinah’s transformation.

“If I say that women are perhaps a bit more sensitive, we will find out. Who made this? I always ask, I don’t need famous brands, I need us here to be able to provide, to help women and men in the regions to make their lives more decent in their areas,” she explained.

Thanks to her dedication in transforming Sarinah, PT Sarinah’s President Director, Raisha Syarfuan, successfully received the Top Woman in National Brand Revitalization award at the Top Women Fest 2026 organised by CNBC Indonesia.

For information, Raisha Syarfuan has served as President Director of PT Sarinah since 14 May 2025, with a strong vision to advance Indonesian retail. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Parsons School of Design, New York, majoring in Design, Business Management, and Luxury Business, including studies in Paris.

Previously, Raisha served as Director and Senior Consultant at PT Indo Siber Telematika (2021-2025), as well as Senior Corporate Marketing Manager at PT Swisstime Perkasa International (2014-2018), handling partnerships with premium brands such as Rolex and Chanel. At Bank Mandiri (2010-2014), she also led the rebranding of the Platinum Card and the expansion of premium services in the domestic market and the ASEAN region.