What's in store for holiday shoppers

Upmarket shopping malls are merrily adorned with Christmas and Idul Fitri decorations, the magnet to draw shoppers. Will it work in having cash registers ringing as music to the ears of retailers? The Jakarta Post contributor Tri Hafiningsih reports.

JAKARTA (JP): As a tape of Michael Bolton warbling schmaltzy Christmas songs plays in the background, green synthetic Christmas trees festooned with cotton "snow", bells, angels, stars and Santa dolls have sprouted in a major department store in the city.

It's that time of the year again -- Christmas is coming. But it's a holiday with a difference, evident by decorations in other sections on the third floor of Sogo in cavernous Plaza Indonesia.

A host of banners wish Muslims well during the Ramadhan fasting month. Familiar green images of mosque domes and ketupat, the steamed rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves which are a mainstay of Idul Fitri, are to be found everywhere. Here there is no Mr. Bolton, but the famous Malay singing group Raihan, singing in praise of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad.

Well, Idul Fitri is also coming.

Major stores like Sogo and Metro in swank Plaza Senayan, Central Jakarta, or Pasaraya in Blok M, South Jakarta, are ready to welcome what they hope will be a bumper season for shoppers as the two holidays fall side by side on the calendar.

Their dreams may not necessarily come true. Prospective shoppers streaming through their doors may well give the expensive temptations a miss, digging instead through the containers with glaring red placards offering 50 percent discounts on last year's leftovers.

Many others are in the malls for lunch, or to break the fast in the early evening. They are more likely to be window shopping than reaching into their pocketbooks.

Like Lisa, who works in an office near Plaza Indonesia, Central Jakarta. She came to the mall for a lunch appointment at a cafe located on the ground floor.

"I can't afford to do my Christmas shopping here," she said, mentioning Mangga Dua in North Jakarta as her more affordable shopping choice for the celebration.

During Ramadhan, many Muslims prefer to remain at home with their families instead of venturing out to the stores.

Saskia, a housewife with three children, said her teenage daughter enrolled in a pesantren short-term religious study classes in the school holidays, while her two younger children were learning to fast.

"Going to shopping plazas is really out of the question," she said.

While for some people Idul Fitri and Christmas are identified with new clothes, shoes and a mountain of gifts, for others it is still about making ends meet amid reverberations from the prolonged economic turbulence, especially with prices of basic commodities soaring before the holidays.

"I can buy clothes any other time," said Nanies, a mother of two who is a frequenter of Plaza Senayan and Plaza Indonesia.

She used to go to Metro, Sogo or Pasaraya to buy clothes for her two daughters.

But she, like many of her friends and relatives, now buys her clothes in outlets of brand-name fashion goods scattered around the city or in Bandung, West Java.

A self-confessed lover of shopping, Naomi, said she did her Christmas shopping before the holiday season, adding that experiencing staggering price hikes and crowded malls were her reasons for avoiding stepping out during the peak season.

Another regular shopper said window shopping, even in the peak season, was a good way of checking the fashion trends.

Although she rejected the term shopping addict, she admitted she sometimes lost control and bought things she "did not really need or already have".

She spends around Rp 1 million for a pair of shoes or a handbag for daily use. She said she would be willing to spend over Rp 3 million for a designer outfit, or a quality handbag.

Anticipation

Retailers expect a significant increase in the number of shoppers in the holidays, and are putting on special programs to greet them.

Galeria Matahari, a branch of Matahari retailer catering to upper class consumers, expects a boom in shopper numbers in the last month of the year. Its fashion counters in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta, are ready to welcome shoppers by increasing the numbers of shop attendants, cashier counters and items on sale.

"We are trying to prevent shoppers from waiting too long in line at the cash registers. And all of our items will be on display," said the promotions supervisor Suhendar Sunardi.

He said there was no apparent increase in Galeria shoppers and sales right now. "But it's early. We won't expect any improvement until the second week of December."

The year-end promotion "Sharing in Happiness," projected to add 30 percent revenue to Galeria over last year, is aimed at attracting Christmas and Idul Fitri shoppers at year's end.

"The three celebrations are only two days apart. We are trying to attract buyers with a more general theme," Suhendar said.

The Marks & Spencer outlet in Plaza Indonesia did not expect a significant increase in sales in early Ramadhan. But new items and special offers are being promoted to accommodate shoppers in the festive season.

Marketing manager Kiki Suwarso said Marks & Spencer does not hold year-end sales, but regular end-of-season sales and special offer programs are conducted throughout the year. "The latest special offer will be launched on December 11," she said.

Another major retailer, Pasaraya, also expected a big increase in the number of shoppers. It plans the "usual" activities to anticipate the increase in visitors for the year-end festivities. There will be discounts, fashion shows, Christmas and Idul Fitri card-drawing competitions and other programs for children.

However, they remain tentatively scheduled. "We have yet to set the dates for the program," said promotions staff Kusyono early last week.

Pasaraya expects to attract more potentially "loyal" costumers through the Pasaraya Passport program, said manager Aries Nugroho. Members enjoy priority services, special discounts, and gain "points" exchangeable for cash vouchers for shopping at all Pasaraya counters in Blok M and Manggarai, South Jakarta. A shopper must spend a minimum of Rp 1 million in a day, or Rp 2 million in two months to qualify.

The program, launched two months ago, has attracted over 3,000 "active" members, Aries said, referring to those who return to shop after they receive the card memberships.

"We are doing well. In the last few days we have processed at least 80 applications daily," he said.