Tanah Abang Market Loses Former Hustle as Traders Air Their Grievances
Jakarta – Tanah Abang Market in Central Jakarta has been recognised for decades as Southeast Asia’s largest textile wholesale centre. Thousands of clothing stalls, fabric shops and various fashion product vendors fill the market complex, which draws buyers from across Indonesia and abroad.
During its heyday, Tanah Abang was rarely quiet. Particularly in the lead-up to Eid, shoppers from various cities would flood the market corridors in search of bulk clothing purchases.
However, conditions are gradually shifting. In Tanah Abang Market Block A, whilst visitors still come and shop, the market corridors are no longer packed with buyers as they were in its golden days.
Several traders acknowledge that current visitor traffic does not compare to conditions in previous years, particularly before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rosita, a trader at Tanah Abang Market, notes that visitor numbers no longer resemble the pre-Eid shopping rush of earlier times.
“It’s not that busy anymore. Usually, when Eid approaches, people would be packed in so densely you couldn’t walk, but now (it’s quiet). It’s not empty exactly, but compared to before, it’s a long way off,” she said when encountered at the location on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
Similar complaints came from another Islamic clothing trader, Nira. She said visitors still come to Tanah Abang, but not in the numbers seen several years ago.
“It’s quiet, not as busy as before. There are still people coming to buy, but it’s not like it used to be. The people who come now are those who need to examine styles and feel the fabric. Those who don’t need to do that can just buy online. Especially now with live shopping, buyers can shop from home,” said Nira.
This phenomenon is also felt by other traders at Tanah Abang. Oong, a clothing vendor, says the number of buyers visiting the market has declined significantly as many have switched to online shopping.
“We here lose out to online retailers. Tanah Abang looks quiet, not as busy as it used to be, because people have moved to online,” said Oong.
According to him, the development of digital shopping platforms has made the public increasingly reluctant to visit the physical market.
“That’s the issue—it’s had quite an impact. People can now buy clothes whilst lying at home. Online sellers market their goods well, explaining fabric details, styles and sizes,” he said.
However, Oong notes that Tanah Abang still possesses one advantage difficult for online shops to match: customers can see and touch clothing fabrics directly.
“The advantage of buying from us now is only being able to feel what the fabric is like. For styles and sizes, buying from live-shopping platforms is already clear enough,” he said.
Nevertheless, for some shoppers, the range of product selection remains the reason Tanah Abang continues to draw visitors.
“For clothing selection, nothing compares to Tanah Abang. The variety is so comprehensive it tires me just walking around,” said Rini, one visitor.