This is especially the case in big cities like Jakarta, which is endowed with a variety of shopping centers. Plazas and malls have sprung up rapidly in the last few years. They offer various facilities and advantages to lure visitors.

Retailers always seem to find a reason to offer goods at low prices, such as gimmicks like the Jakarta Great Sale or the yearly Christmas and New Year sale. The themes vary, for example Warehouse Clearance or Big Sale, such as the one Metro department Store is presently staging.

Some malls frequently organize raffles. Pacific Place is one example. This luxury fashion and lifestyle shopping center in the Sudirman Central Business District, Jakarta, stages Shop and Win events with alluring grand prizes such as chances to win a trip to watch the F1 in Singapore, a Toyota Yaris or even a VW Touareg worth Rp 1.1 billion.

What can't you find in Jakarta? Traditional goods and international brands are all available here. According to Provis property consultant, throughout 2008, various international retailers opened outlets in Jakarta. These include Marc Jacobs, Club Monaco, Make Up Store, Velvet at Plaza Indonesia and Habitat furniture and home accessories at Seibu, Grand Indonesia. A number of retailers have also solidified their positions with new outlets. There is Topshop Topmen and Oakley at Grand Indonesia, Aldo Collection, Sebastian's, BSC and Domicile at Plaza Indonesia, Tissot, Canali, Longines and Ivy at Plaza Senayan, Nike at Mal Puri Indah and Gap at Mal Kelapa Gading.

If you want to buy designer clothes, a modern air-conditioned mall may be the best bet. People are spoiled for choice with Plaza Indonesia, Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, Mal Pondok Indah, Mal Taman Anggrek, Mal Puri Indah, Mal Lippo Karawaci, Mal Kelapa Gading, Pacific Place and other newly opened shopping centers like Grand Indonesia and fX Lifestyle X'nter in the Central Business District.

"I love sitting in the coffee shop in Gramedia bookstore at Grand Indonesia. Not only is the location strategic but it also has a great view overlooking the Hotel Indonesia Traffic Circle," said Michael Zhang, a musician/music instructor, who, when met, was reading a book and sipping a coffee.

Grand Indonesia is a new shopping and leisure destination in Jakarta. Opened in April this year, this mall is made up of four main buildings: Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, BCA Tower office compound, Hotel Indonesia Kempinski and premium apartment building Kempinski Residences.

As the largest shopping center in Indonesia, Grand Indonesia consists of three parts: the East Mall, the West Mall and a Skybridge that connects the two. The main tenant in the West Mall is Seibu. The other tenants are Blitz Megaplex, which is the largest cinema in Indonesia, Alun Alun Indonesia, which offers unique Indonesian products and several international brands. In the East Mall, you can find GAP and Guess, both having their flagship stores there, and a department store from England, Harvey Nichols, which is the main tenant.

"Grand Indonesia Shopping Town proudly serves as a home for famous fashion brands, restaurants and cafes. Seibu Department Store, Guess and GAP, which have opened their flagship stores here, and Grand Duck King and Crystal Jade Golden Palace restaurants are some of our tenants. The presence of Blitz Megaplex and the latest outlet of Alun Alun Indonesia complements our facilities," said Frans H. Lazaro, managing director of Grand Indonesia.

Grand Indonesia, which has a retail area measuring 135,000 square meters, has eight floors and stands on 250,000 square meters of land. The main building was originally Hotel Indonesia, which was built with war reparations from Japan. In the 1990s, this historical hotel lost out to new hotels in its vicinity.

fX Lifestyle combines shopping needs with entertainment needs. Interestingly, while other malls close at 10 p.m., fX is open until 3 a.m. on weekends.

This mall, formerly called Sudirman Place, is indeed unique and offers many interesting things. It introduces many new features in an attractive concept, particularly in terms of its facility program. fPod, for example, is a room that is rented for various events such as for gatherings of friends and relatives, karaoke sessions and business meetings

The Atmostfear, a slide between the top and bottom floors, must be an adrenaline rush for those wanting to put their courage to the test. Reportedly, some Rp 13 billion was spent on the construction of this 72-meter-long slide.

So, Jakarta has turned into a jungle of plazas and malls where everything can be found. Offering their best concept, these plazas and malls compete with one another to attract visitors. Aside from modern malls, old shopping centers continue to have their attraction for shoppers, especially if the goods they offer are unique. Traditional wooden furniture, for example, can be found in Kemang and Ciputat, while antique items can be found on Jl. Surabaya, Menteng. Another interesting place to visit is Jatinegara Market, where you can find a huge variety of precious and semi-precious stones. Meanwhile, the Pasar Baru pedestrian plaza is still an interesting place for those interested in textiles.

If it is electronics you want, try Harco in Kota, or the more modern Mangga Dua Electronics Center in West Jakarta or Ratu Plaza in South Jakarta. Or visit Electronic City, which has outlets in a number of places.

In short, modern malls and traditional markets in Jakarta offer a great variety of choices, especially for those crazy about shopping.

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