The Bustle Of The Tanah Abang Market Ahead Of Eid 2022 Is A Momentum For Textile Industry Revival

The Tanah Abang market, which is again busy ahead of Eid 2022, can be used as a momentum for the revival of the textile industry in Indonesia. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The last ten days before Idul Fitri, the Tanah Abang Market area began to experience a surge in visitors, namely on Sunday 24 April.

The largest clothing sales center in Southeast Asia is filled with shoppers, who are dominated by women. They swarmed the Muslim fashion outlets and their equipment ahead of Eid Al-Fitr 1443 H.

Manager of UPT Pasar Tanah Abang, Agus Lamun, said the crowds of visitors came after the government announced the relaxation of activities. The number of visitors in Blocks A, F, and G continues to increase.

"Actually, the number of visitors has increased since February. However, ahead of this Eid, buyer activity continues to show an increase," Agus told VOI, Sunday, April 24.

Tanah Abang Market Building Block G. (ANTARA)

The economic stretch has begun to be felt in the Tanah Market since the government relaxed activities through PPKM level 2. Tanah Abang is one of the textile shopping locations most affected by COVID-19. Tanah Abang is still an idol for residents who live in Jakarta and other regions, even abroad.

The number of visitors to Tanah Abang Market in early March has reached 25-30 thousand people. The number of visits experienced a positive increase compared to the same months before Ramadan 2020 and 2021. For the record, Ramadan in 2020 falls on April 24, or just a month after COVID-19 became a pandemic.

Daily Turnover IDR 45 Billion

The increase in trade transactions with retailers from the regions reached 70-80 percent. Estimated visitor spending on average is IDR 1.5 million, so the daily turnover in Tanah Abang can reach IDR 45 billion.

A trader, Firdaus, the owner of a Muslim clothing outlet, said that the Tanah Abang crowd had started since March 28, 2022. Visitors who came not only from Jakarta but also from outside the capital. In 10 days before Idul Fitri he can get a turnover of 5-7 million per day.

Several traders admitted that their daily turnover rose again this year. Their average income is IDR 10 million to IDR 20 million per day, as reported by Antara on April 17.

One of the oldest industries in Indonesia is the textile industry. This industry has controlled the global market as much as 2 percent. This industry plays a major role in the growth of the national economy, GDP. It is also a labor-intensive industry, which can absorb up to 17 percent of the workforce.

It has become a tradition, the peak of citizen consumption generally occurs in the month of Ramadan accompanied by an increase in demand for goods and services. Apart from food, clothing consumption also increases during Ramadan and Eid.

Tanah Abang Market is a favorite shopping place because of its affordable prices. (AMONG)

According to records from the Ministry of Industry, the textile business will grow 10 percent in the first semester of this year. This increase was triggered by the high demand during Ramadan this year, and this is the first time being in a green area since COVID-19. Previously, in 2020 it slumped by 8.89 percent and 3.31 percent in 2021.

The textile business experienced the largest increase since 2017, which was 19.49 percent in 2019 on year. According to the Ministry of Industry, the textile business is predicted to fluctuate growth.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) noted that there would be a sharp spike in the consumption of clothing and footwear in the Ramadan quarter, reaching 1.66 percent.

Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia in its survey predicts an increase in the retail business in May and August, which recorded Sales Expectation indexes in May and August of 157.8 and 155.1, compared to 151.8 and 143.1 in the previous month.

The increase in May was triggered by Eid al-Fitr celebrations, while in August it was driven by the many promo programs for the 17 August celebrations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the textile industry for almost two years. In 2022, the industry is trying to rise, in accordance with the government's target, which will make this year a momentum for the revival of the national economy.