Cleaning supplies in demand

Agnes Winarti ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 10/04/2008 11:32 AM  |  City

Besides the buying craze at food and clothing shops during the Idul Fitri holidays, restocking holiday supplies of cleaning products is also escalating during the weeks leading up to Lebaran.

"During the past two weeks, we have seen a 25 percent increase in sales of cleaning supplies such as soap, detergent and disinfectant, compared to regular daily sales," a manager at the Giant department store in Pondok Bambu, East Jakarta, Ronny Ganda, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Ronny said sales increased despite no special discounts for the Lebaran holidays.

"Our store runs a normal sales schedule, offering a regular two-week-long promo price and weekend discounts on certain items. We don't offer any special discounts for the holiday."

"Cleaning agents are a basic need for every household. So, people will buy them continuously, whenever they run out at home."

Noting the rising sales of cleaning materials at his store, Ronny said customers were probably adding to their supplies at home as well as preparing to clean by themselves while their household help is away for the holidays.

Homemaker Nina was shopping in a Carrefour outlet at Buaran Plaza, East Jakarta. She said, "It's important to have a supply of cleaning materials at home. I've done that.

"But I don't think I need cleaning equipment because I have all that -- brooms, mops, dustpans, dishcloths and such."

"Today I am looking for a new mop handle to replace my broken one at home," said Nina, adding her maid had gone on holiday last Sunday.

The increase in cleaning-product sales at the Giant department store has been less extreme than the increase in food sales, which Ronny said had reached up to five times the level on ordinary days.

At the Carrefour outlet in Buaran, Emi Susanti, an employee in charge of the aisle for cleaning products and equipment, said "Our sales are running as usual, just like on ordinary days. There's no increase."

"Most customers are currently more obsessed with shopping for food than for cleaning equipment," she said. "However, we are still offering discounts up to 10 percent for cleaning products," Emi said, adding food products were also discounted even more.

During the month of Ramadan, including the culminating Idul Fitri holidays at the beginning of October, the hypermarket extended its operating hours to accommodate the increase in holiday shopping. From Sept. 26 to 29, it was open until midnight. On Idul Fitri eve it closed its doors at 8 p.m., and on the first Idul Fitri day, it was open from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.