Stores are not giving special discounts to APEC delegates
Stores are not giving special discounts to APEC delegates
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's large-scale shopping centers are not
providing special offers or any discounts to greet delegates of
the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum despite
requests by the head of the city tourism office.
Representatives of most department stores contacted by The
Jakarta Post yesterday said they are not preparing special
discounts for the APEC forum because they have already planned
such promotional activities for annual occasions, such as
Christmas and Idul Fitri.
"Right now most stores in our mall are giving special pre-
Christmas discounts, from October until mid December," said
Yulianti Said, public relation officer of Citra Land Mall in West
Jakarta.
She explained the discounts they offer usually range from 20
to 50 percent. The discounts are offered in that period of time
because they intend to clear up their stocks by the end of the
year.
Fauzi Bowo, head of the city tourism office, yesterday urged
owners of big shopping centers, hotels and restaurants to take
the greatest advantages from the APEC forum by giving special
offers or discounts.
The provision of special discounts is expected to help APEC
delegates feel more comfortable during their stay in the country,
he said.
"Right now only restaurants which are participating in the
Jakarta Food Festival give special rates," Fauzi said, adding
that the festival's aim is to select the best restaurant in the
city. The festival is being held between Sept. 25 and Nov. 30,
and has 31 selected restaurants participating.
Julfan, a staff member of the city tourism office, said stores
all over the world have the tradition of giving discounts in
October, November and December every year.
"The stores in Jakarta will unlikely give discounts just
because of APEC, even though most of them have lowered their
prices right now," Julfan said.
Pasaraya Sarinah Jaya department store in Blok M, South
Jakarta, does not offer special discounts or prices for APEC
delegates.
Luncheon
The only program held by Pasaraya in connection with the APEC
forum is the hosting of a luncheon, in the store building, for
wives of the trade ministers of the APEC countries, said Harun
Kuswardhono, a director of the department store.
"After the luncheon, the ministers' wives are expected shop at
the store, especially the Indonesian handicrafts corner, which
offers the largest amount of handicrafts with Indonesian
characteristics in the city," he said, adding that his store had
offered special discounts just last month.
Harun said that based on the experience of the Non-Aligned
Movement in 1992, when many heads of states and their delegates
came to Jakarta, there will also be a lot of visitors going to
his store.
"Yes, I expect sales will go up because of the event, despite
the absence of special offers," he said.
The Indonesian handicraft center at the well-known Sogo
department store in Plaza Indonesia shopping mall, next to Grand
Hyatt hotel at Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, is currently
providing discount vouchers, an executive of the center said.
"We give discount vouchers of between Rp 25,000 (US$11.9) and
Rp 550,000 to certain customers," said Paul Santoso, chief of the
center.
However, he insisted that the vouchers are not given because
of the forum.
The vouchers are given under a membership basis and are sent
mostly to the center's regular customers, he said.
He explained that the management has distributed the vouchers
to embassies, foreign companies and hotels throughout the city.
(yns)