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hopping in Jakarta is always an interesting and exciting activity, whether it is visiting luxury shopping centers replete with all the conveniences, or treading carefully in wet traditional markets where haggling is the norm.

The coming of the Jakarta Great Sale, held between June 1 and July 14 this year, is a much-awaited event that is guaranteed to boost the excitement of shoppers. There are myriad shopping opportunities to be had at the 73 shopping centers taking part in the event, with huge discounts of up to 70 percent, buy one-get one, cash back, midnight sale and many other sale promotions.

Consumers certainly enjoy themselves. Data from Festival Jakarta Great Sale shows that since 2008, average transactions during the Jakarta Great Sale period increased up to 20 percent annually. For example, 2009 had Rp 6 trillion in transactions, 2010 recorded Rp 7.2 trillion and 2011 notched Rp 8.7 trillion. Entering its fifth year, the event is expected to generate revenue up to Rp 10 trillion.

The event has been extended to six weeks this year from the usual four weeks (it traditionally ended during Jakarta’s anniversary on June 22). Shopping centers are open between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., but for some shopping centers the frenzy can last until the early hours with a midnight sale promotion, which get rolling from 10 p.m. onward.

For most Jakartans, midnight sales are the solution to escape the city’s traffic and also welcome opportunity to shop after office hours. They also have their own strategies for finding the best discounts.

Rifanny Arlianty said loves to shop during a midnight sale because it offers huge discounts and she is able to shop with her close friends before going home.

“I like shopping with my friends because I can get input on which items I should buy. It is always more fun to shop with friends,” said the private company employee.

Another private company employee, Sari, said a midnight sale usually offered bigger discounts compared to the regular sales.

“Perhaps the midnight sale is so popular because people think that not many people will come during the early hours. But in reality the sale still attracts many people,” she said.

During sales, Rifanny usually shops for office outfits and houseware items, such as bed covers. The biggest bargain she landed was paying Rp 600,000 for an item originally tagged at Rp 1 million.

“I usually start browsing the shopping center at 9 p.m. I hide the items I like from the upper or front stack so that other people don’t find them,” she said.

Sari also carried out similar strategies by coming to the shopping center at around 6 p.m. to give herself more time a head of the crowd. One of her shopping success stories was buying a bag for only Rp 200,000 from its original price of Rp 800,000.

“Once you see something that catches your fancy, you should secure it in your shopping bag. If it is necessary, get the invoice for payment later. It’s up to you to decide which one you want to pay for later on,” she said.

Midnight sales means that nearly everything — from dresses to baby trolleys to suitcases – is sold at discount. But being up for grabs can sometimes be taken too literally by fervent bargain hunters.

“When people are involved in the grabbing war, sometimes I get carried away and also bought an item even though I didn’t want to buy it, let alone like it, in the first place,” Rifanny added.

A lot of energy is expended in hunting for bargains, from trawling the store racks to standing in line. Experienced shoppers say it is best to go in a group, and to have a proper dinner and wear sensible shoes on the night.

“A fulfilling dinner is key to successful shopping because shopping requires energy. You should also bring a water bottle to avoid dehydration. And also bring a small bag and be alert for pickpockets,” Sari said.