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Jakarta’s hipster market Pasar Santa poised to reclaim glory
A thousand words: Andi Ari of GUE ARI Galeri, a photobook business at Pasar Santa in South Jakarta, carries out activities at his shop on Friday
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thousand words: Andi Ari of GUE ARI Galeri, a photobook business at Pasar Santa in South Jakarta, carries out activities at his shop on Friday.(JP/Seto Wardhana)
Pasar Santa was dubbed Jakarta’s coolest market during its heyday in 2014 and early 2015.
Bestowed with the moniker “hipster market” — where the young and hip could find vinyl record stores, modern coffee shops or vintage and casual clothing shops — the market was thriving on the back of Jakarta’s vibrant and creative youth culture.
Things, however, went downhill when the construction of overpasses on Jl. Wolter Monginsidi and Jl. Kapten Tendean began in March 2015, which made it difficult for people to access the market. The average number of customers at each kiosk suddenly dropped from around 20 to fewer than 10 people per day.
With monthly rent having risen from Rp 3 million (US$210) to Rp 9 million in 2016, many tenants left. That year, only 15 out of 380 kiosks on the market’s first floor were open.
However, Steven Yudha, one of the tenants at the market — located in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta — now claims that the wheels are turning again for the market.
“It is on the rise again and you can feel it by seeing all these once empty kiosks filled with [sellers],” Steven told The Jakarta Post recently.
His optimism is not entirely misplaced. The head of the market, Ahmad Subhan, who works under city-owned market developer PD Pasar Jaya, confirmed Steven’s claim, saying that new tenants were coming and that 360 of the 380 kiosks on the first floor were open again.
In addition to lowering rent to around Rp 6 million, the market’s management had also been working with tenants to hold events to attract customers.
“We have worked with all the sellers by holding various events, including those that are self-initiated by the business owners. Essentially, we would like to send a message to the public that we exist,” Subhan said.
“Pasar Ajojing”, for instance, was an event organized by a community formed by vinyl shop owners called Santa Music Club that saw a DJ entertain the incoming crowds in a bid to make the atmosphere livelier.
Seto Budiman, the owner of a vinyl and art supplies store who is also a member of the community, claimed that the flea market concept that he and his fellow tenants proposed had also contributed to the increase.
The concept revolves around a bazaar where potential entrepreneurs can temporarily partake by occupying the empty kiosks, with the hope that they will slowly become interested in opening a full-fledged store in the area.
“[PD Pasar Jaya] has helped us by providing spaces for events. It is easier now to organize our own events. Back then, it was crowded to a point where everyone would have their own individual proposal,” Seto said.
Urbanists, however, warned the market’s management and tenants against complacency, saying the market could easily lose its appeal again.
Trisakti University urbanist Yayat Supriyatana suggested that markets such as Santa had to “keep up with the urban lifestyle” to survive.
“Santa Market was a middle-class market in the past but this middle-class market has changed since then. [If they don’t keep up with the trends] the market will go extinct with its audience as generation X will be different from generations Y and Z,” he said.
He added: “People go to the market not only to get groceries but also to enjoy a new atmosphere. Therefore, a market should always try to develop intomore than just a place to buy daily necessities.”
Urban expert Nirwono Joga echoed similar ideas as he emphasized the need to capture “opportunities to cater to millennials” for long-term survival.
“Millenials need a space for social interaction, thus a coworking space that is cost-friendly and has free Wi-Fi is a must. The infrastructure should also reflect modernity by having clean facilities […] and also provide cashless transactions with smartphones and a 24-hour online service because Jakarta is a city that never sleeps,” Nirwono said. (mai)
