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View all search resultsChristmas sales inch up slowly amid cautious spending
Retailers are seeing a later-than-usual pickup in seasonal sales this year as consumers appear more cautious with their spending, while industry associations say the delayed momentum could carry over past the year-end and into early 2026.
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Seasonal pick-me-ups: People browse Christmas decorations on Dec. 18, 2025, at a store in Manokwari, West Papua. Sales of holiday ornaments, ranging in price between Rp 15,000 (89 US cents) and Rp 12 million, began to pick up a week ahead of Christmas this year. (Antara/Chairil Indra)
L
usiyanti grew anxious when foot traffic and sales last month at her West Jakarta-based religious goods store Yeraya fell short compared to previous years. For her, it was a worrying sign ahead of what was typically the strongest shopping season of the year, when sales usually surged around 40 percent compared to normal periods.
“But toward the end of the month and into December, things picked up significantly,” Lusiyanti told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
So far, Yeraya’s sales figures have inched up around 3-4 percent from last year, offering modest relief amid a challenging retail climate.
Lusiyanti’s experience mirrors a broader industry trend as retailers grapple with sluggish consumer spending as they head into the final stretch of 2025. Retail associations expect year-end sales to improve from last year, but at a subdued pace.
“Sales performance at the end of this year is expected to rise compared to last year, but the increase will not be significant and is unlikely to exceed 10 percent,” Alphonzus Widjaja, chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Association (APPBI), told the Post on Tuesday.
He added that retail sales growth was forecast to stay below 5 percent.
Nevertheless, retailers are still banking on the Christmas and New Year holidays, traditionally the last and most crucial sales window of the year, to lift revenues. One bright spot has been consumers’ continued appetite for personalized and unique decorations, particularly for Christmas.
