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Fair play: Tanah Abang traders welcome government's social commerce ban
Traders at Jakarta's textile and garment hub are collectively breathing a sigh of relief after the government's social commerce ban on TikTok, but it may not be smooth sailing from here on out for sales at their physical stores.
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Yusma, 65, sits idle on Sept. 26, 2023 as she waits for customers to visit her store in Tanah Abang Market, Central Jakarta. (JP/Radhiyya Indra)
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nder the dim lighting at Tanah Abang Market in Central Jakarta, two stores that belong to 65-year-old Yusma boast a collection of quality Muslim clothing. Her only problem is that they are empty of customers.
“Many sellers who used to rent here have gone away. I’m still here because I have owned these two for over 20 years. And yet, my earnings haven’t been enough to even pay for my sole employee,” Yusma told The Jakarta Post on Sept. 26.
The advent of social commerce, which uses social media to market and sell products directly to consumers, has recently caused a backlash from traders at offline markets like the famed textile and garment hub in Tanah Abang.
Traders have blamed social commerce for stealing away their customers, with many singling out TikTok Shop for its “unbelievably low” prices and imported goods.
But offline traders rejoiced after the government banned retail sales on social media platforms, which they viewed as a step forward in regulating social commerce, though some traders remain skeptical about the chances their sales will revive.
“It’s a good thing, because we’ve actually seen our customer numbers decrease more since [TikTok]’s livestreaming boom in the country several months ago,” Sri, 49, who manages an outlet at Tanah Abang Market’s Blok A, told the Post on Tuesday.
Sri managed her own clothing store in Blok F of the market from the early 2000s until the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Since 2020, she has been an employee of Mato Aie, which sells a variety of clothing made in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta.
