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City's annual shopping spree nears
Life in Jakarta will soon be all about grabbing a bargain as the annual shopping spree, the Jakarta Great Sale, hits town Friday next week
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Life in Jakarta will soon be all about grabbing a bargain as the annual shopping spree, the Jakarta Great Sale, hits town Friday next week.
The 2008 Jakarta Great Sale, which will run until July 27, will involve about 8,000 retail merchants offering discounts and promotions, event committee secretary Surjadi Sasmita said.
"We expect to attract more than 20 million customers and take in Rp 2 trillion (US$215 million) from our official sale members. Since many unregistered members are also participating in the event, we expect to exceed that target," he said.
Registration is still open for companies interested in participating in the event.
As of Monday, the committee listed 34 malls, 252 retailers, eight spas and eight hotels participating in the event.
In 2006, the Jakarta Great Sale reportedly raked in Rp 4.5 trillion in sales with 6,671 merchants. Last year, the value of sales reached Rp 5 trillion with 7,814 companies involved.
Surjadi said the committee had demanded that merchants put their best offers on their best products so the event would be more than just a clearance sale.
"However, we let them set the discount rate. Some set it at 20 percent, others at 30 percent," he said.
Tourism agency head Arie Budhiman said the event targets both domestic and international tourists, although the Indonesian fiscal system did not allow the city administration to identify international shoppers.
"The only way to know how many international tourists come during the Jakarta Great Sale is through tax refunds. We have requested the central government to allow us to do these, but they have yet to fulfill our request," he said.
Surjadi said if tax refunds were permitted, the committee would be able to give a larger discount rate.
The Jakarta Great Sale will also have social events, such as an exhibition and bazaar on small and medium enterprises, a Betawi culinary festival, a photography exhibition and a talk show on beauty.
The sale season is part of the city's 481st anniversary program. This year's event will be directly managed by 15 business associations, after having been controlled by the city's chamber of trade and industry for the past 11 years.
