At the end of the year, Yogyakarta is a shopper's delight for locals and tourists alike. During this period, discounts are offered on various products, particularly batik and handicrafts.
The fun began with the Jogja Fair 2008, held from Nov. 15 to 23 at the Jogja Expo Center (JEC) under the theme of the Charm of Shopping Tourism.
A great variety of products, such as handicrafts, batik, automotive and hi-tech products were displayed and special discounts were offered during the event.
Batik Danarhadi, which has stores on Jl. Adi Sucipto and Jl. Malioboro, for example, tantalized shoppers with its "Two batik items for Rp 100,000" offer.
"This is a special just for the event," said Ria Wahyu, one of the sales girls at Batik Danarhadi.
On ordinary days, Ria said, batik items sell for an average of Rp 100,000 per piece. In addition to offering bargains during the Charm of Shopping Tourism, Batik Danarhadi usually also gives store discounts at the end of the year.
"The percentage of the discount depends on the management, but usually it is only 10 percent," Ria said.
Meanwhile, deputy product manager of the Charm of Shopping Tourism program, Diaz Ario, said the event was the second of its kind and would be a routine event every year-end.
Besides being intended to introduce products from Yogyakarta, the event is also aimed at pampering tourists visiting Yogyakarta. With the event, tourist only need visit one place to buy various handicrafts and other products, such as automotive goods, laptops and so forth.
"This is an effort to boost tourism in Yogyakarta. That's why this event is held in cooperation with the local administration, the local tourism service and players in tourist sector," Diaz Ario said.
After shopping, visitors can enjoy various traditional dishes and snacks offered at the stands of the Charm of Shopping Tourism Market. Traditional dishes and snacks include gudek (jackfruit curry), bakpia (traditional pastries) and so forth.
After being pampered by the Charm of Shopping Tourism, locals and tourists can still enjoy discounts for the next month at all shopping centers in Yogyakarta.
From mid-November 2008 to February 2009, Yogyakarta municipality administration, in cooperation with dozens of companies in Yogyakarta, is staging the sixth Jogja Great Sale (JGS).
Yogyakarta municipality head Herry Zudianto officially opened JGS by beating a gong in the atrium of Malioboro Mall on Nov. 14 in the presence of dozens of businesspeople from Yogyakarta and its surroundings.
JGS is an event in which dozens of companies in Yogyakarta display their products. During JGS, the companies offer discounts to shoppers in Yogyakarta municipality, in particular in the Malioboro area.
Discounts vary from 20 to 70 percent and are offered on all products.
For purchases of Rp 50,000, buyers earn one point, which gives them entry in a raffle on Feb. 28, 2009. Prizes in the raffle include a motorbike, a television and much more.
The chairman of the Association of Malioboro Entrepreneurs, who is also the JGS chairman, Suryadi Suryadinata, said the JGS was a strategic venue for businesses to promote themselves, especially at a time when the global economic turmoil demands businesspeople be creative and innovative.
"As a result of the global crisis, the sales volume of businesspeople in Malioboro has dropped 20 to 30 percent. This condition must be immediately and properly handled to ensure that the businesses survive," Suryadi said.
For this JGS, the association has teamed up with more third parties for promotional purposes. In this cooperation, discounts and attractive packages are offered to the third parties.
Herry Zudianto said that JGS was an attempt to maintain economic development following the impact of the global financial turmoil.
"We cannot just contemplate or complain about the impact of the global crisis. We must find ways to overcome this situation," he said.
He also hoped that the organization of JGS could maintain Yogyakarta's economic development at the level of 5 percent annually. He added that one of main economic drivers of Yogyakarta was tourism.
"One of the ways to support tourism is to organize the JGS, an event that pampers to tourists," he added.
