Tanah Abang Market Bustles with Mothers Buying New School Uniforms

Parents have crowded Pasar Tanah Abang in Jakarta to hunt for school uniforms ahead of the new academic year. Traders report that sales have nearly doubled, with prices starting from Rp42,500. Various types of uniforms for elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels are available both at retail and wholesale. According to several traders, this year’s uniform sales have increased by almost twofold. The parents visiting the market are predominantly buying for children who are moving up a grade or transitioning to a new school level, such as from kindergarten to elementary school or from elementary to junior high school. One parent mentioned intentionally purchasing a larger size so that the trousers could last for the next two to three years. She also stated that she chose to buy school uniforms at Tanah Abang Market because the prices are cheaper compared to shops in shopping centres and because she can still bargain.