TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Glorious no more: Mangga Dua tenants adjust to survive e-commerce era
ITC Mangga Dua, North Jakarta, has been hit by a decline in shoppers in the past year.
Change Size
Shoppers at ITC Mangga Dua, North Jakarta, last Wednesday. Some tenants have complained about a decrease in transactions and visitors have noticed a drop in foot traffic inside the establishment. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
W
hen ITC Mangga Dua first opened its doors in North Jakarta in 1989, the shopping center was a fashion revolution and the capital’s point of reference for the latest clothing trends from overseas.
The shopping center enjoyed decades of prosperity as a haven for shoppers to purchase clothes, bags, shoes and electronics with bargainable prices.
Several years ago, walking freely between the kiosks might have proven to be difficult as you’d likely bump into another shopper that was bargaining for a Louis Vuitton bag, usually priced at Rp 500,000 (US$35).
However, three decades after its glorious opening, ITC Mangga Dua no longer showcases the same vibrant energy it used to have.
“Nowadays, it’s common for our store to only have five transactions on weekdays. During the weekends, it barely reaches twenty,” said Yuli Nurmalasari, 18, a store attendant at E’toile on the fifth floor of ITC Mangga Dua.
E’toile sells children clothing, bags and shoes with a price range of Rp 100,000 to Rp 400,000.
“In our case, we’re not as pressured as other tenants who rent from the building management because this kiosk is completely owned by our boss who purchased it years ago. However, our sales have barely been able to cover the monthly service fees. For other expenditures, the owner has mostly used money out of her own pocket,” said Yuli.
