Shopping Indonesian style

Shopping Indonesian style

Good news for bargain hunters and collectors of Indonesian
handicrafts.

This week, the Plaza Atrium Shopping Center in Segitiga,
Senen, is hosting an Indonesian traditional arts and crafts
exhibition. The exhibition opens Tuesday, November 12, 1996, and
runs through Tuesday, November 19, 1996.

Mulyasari, the exhibition coordinator, explained: "This is a
great opportunity to view a wide variety of traditional
Indonesian products offered direct to the public at very
reasonable prices."

Senen, Central Jakarta, is probably best known as Jakarta's
thriving gold-dealing district. A place where fine gold is
assayed, bought, sold and made into finely crafted jewelry.

Plaza Atrium Shopping Center has one whole floor dedicated to
shops dealing in gold; A "must-see" for any visitor to Jakarta
interested in buying genuine, top quality gold jewelry and gold
bullion.

Plaza Atrium is fast developing a reputation for innovative
and professionally managed promotional events and exhibitions.
Just recently, the internationally famous Ripley's Believe It or
Not staged a very successful promotional event on the Plaza's
ground floor. This was the first time it had been held in an
Indonesian shopping center.

"One of the main reasons our exhibitions and events are so
successful is because we go to great lengths to create the right
atmosphere," Mulyasari said.

"So, for example, during the Indonesian Arts and Crafts
Exhibition, not only have we beautifully decorated the interior
of the shopping center and the exhibition counters, we have also
arranged for demonstrations of Indonesian dance and music as part
of the program. In this way, we hope to create just the right
atmosphere for our customers."

McDonald's

Separately, but also a very significant event for the shopping
center, McDonald's recently opened on the ground floor of Atrium
Plaza.

Significantly, McDonald's did not adopt the brightly lit
western interior that one normally associates with almost any
McDonald's around the world.

Instead, McDonald's have used elements of traditional Betawi
architecture to create a unique local feel to the restaurant.
McDonald's sensitivity to local culture in this location has, no
doubt, allowed them to achieve greater acceptance among local
customers.

Indeed, it is understood that as a result, McDonald's are
already achieving an average daily turnover in excess of Rp 25
million at this new restaurant.

"All that shopping certainly makes for hungry customers,"
declared Mulyasari.