TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Western, central, and eastern Indonesia show diverse trends in online shopping behavior

Indonesia has a large population of avid online shoppers across the country. As 2021 is coming to a close, online marketplaces, including Tokopedia, are observing striking trends among their customers.

Pradna Paramitha (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, December 29, 2021

Share This Article

Change Size

Western, central, and eastern Indonesia show diverse trends in online shopping behavior (Courtesy of Tokopedia )

I

ndonesia has a large population of avid online shoppers across the country. As 2021 is coming to a close, online marketplaces, including Tokopedia, are observing striking trends among their customers. They vary among different parts of Indonesia, from the east to the west.

For example, in the western part of Indonesia, shoppers gravitate toward household appliances, health and beauty products, food and beverages, as well as electronics. At the same time, online marketplaces like Tokopedia are seeing an increase in shoppers by 1.5 times from last year.

One of these shops, Verne Indonesia, is a handicraft store from Surabaya, East Java, that produces leather goods and souvenirs.

.
. (Courtesy of Tokopedia /.)

“Every month, we handle 50 to 60 sales on Tokopedia alone, and it’s twice the transactions we had last year,” said Marsetio Hariadi, manager of Verne Indonesia.

On the other hand, Central Indonesia has seen a surge in transactions for household appliances, health and beauty products, electronics and fashion. And just like in the west, more shops are also flocking to online marketplaces, with an increase of 150 percent.

Prospects

Every Monday

With exclusive interviews and in-depth coverage of the region's most pressing business issues, "Prospects" is the go-to source for staying ahead of the curve in Indonesia's rapidly evolving business landscape.

By registering, you agree with The Jakarta Post's

Thank You

for signing up our newsletter!

Please check your email for your newsletter subscription.

View More Newsletter

Imam Masyhuda, the owner of Sambal Raja Roa, a specialty store that provides a wide range of sambal roa (chili paste with ballyhoo) varieties, was quick to ride the wave.

“Almost 70 percent of my sales come from Tokopedia, and my profits have multiplied three times after joining the Kumpulan Toko Pilihan [KTP] program on Tokopedia.”

The eastern part of Indonesia tells a different story. On Tokopedia alone, the region has seen a two-fold increase in transactions from 2020, with the top categories being health and beauty, fashion, food and beverages, as well as electronics.

Like in Surabaya, local shops specializing in local handicrafts have also enjoyed a significant profit boost. Marice, for example, is the owner of Belanja Termurah, an online shop that sells food, beverages and souvenirs from Papua. Marice said Belanja Termurah’s number of transactions had increased three times since the second quarter of 2021.

“I can even now ship my goods to Aceh,” he added.

Verne Indonesia, Sambal Raja Roa and Belanja Termurah are just a few of the many micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) benefitting from the numerous initiatives launched by Tokopedia, including Hyperlocal. Aside from promoting local brands, Tokopedia also commits to helping businesses meet their potential customers online.

.
. (Courtesy of Tokopedia /.)

Hyperlocal achieves that goal by adjusting to the varying shopping trends in each region and connecting shoppers to the nearest sellers. Therefore, every MSME will receive equal chances of growing and retaining a loyal customer base.

Tokopedia’s external communications senior lead, Ekhel Chandra Wijaya, said Tokopedia would continue to promote its merchant partners.

“Tokopedia will continue to commit to #SelaluAdaSelaluBisa [Always Able, Always Present] in helping the people of Indonesia overcome the changing times through technology. We strive to collaborate with strategic partners in presenting the best innovations.”



{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.