There Is A Vaccine, Optimistic Mall Entrepreneurs 2021 Visit Rate Improves

Illustration (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Shopping centers in the country still have to work hard in increasing visits. This is not easy, especially if you look at people's purchasing power that has not fully recovered. However, Indonesian shopping center entrepreneurs believe this year will be better than 2020.

Chairperson of the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI) Alphonzus Widjaja said, in 2021 there is a trend of improvement. However, the visit rate has not been able to return to its normal position.

"It is estimated that the business conditions of shopping centers in 2021 will be better than in 2020. Although it cannot return to normal as before the pandemic," he said, when contacted by VOI, in Jakarta, Saturday, January 2.

This improvement trend, he said, was also supported by the presence of three million COVID-19 vaccines from pharmaceutical companies from China. He emphasized that vaccination does not necessarily solve COVID-19, but at least it can control the spread of the virus.

Furthermore, he said, it was very important to increase people's confidence to do activities outside the home with a sense of security.

"Vaccination will significantly reduce the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. So that this can be a positive thing to encourage the wheels of the economy," he said.

As is known, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the order of human life. In fact, the celebration of Christmas and New Year, which are usually opportunities for mall entrepreneurs to attract a higher number of visitors, could not be done because of the operational hours regulation issued by the Jakarta Provincial Government.

Alphonzus said, despite the year-end holidays, there was no significant jump in visitors. The average rate of visits at the end of the year is estimated to be only around 20 to 30 percent. This figure is the same as visitors on weekends or weekends in general.

In fact, according to him, there are around 10 to 20 percent of tenants who have discontinued their business due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will exacerbate tenants at the end of the new year 2021.