Mall Opened, APPBI: As Long As It Is Not Normal, There Will Be A Deficit

Grand Indonesia Mall (Photo: Angga Nugraha / VOI)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has implemented a transitional Large-Scale Social Restriction (PSBB) policy in the face of the COVID-19 period. In this policy, several public places such as shopping centers or economic centers will be reopened.

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI) Alphonsus Widjaja assessed that the opening of a mall or shopping center on June 15 will not immediately be crowded with visitors. This is because the community's economic condition has not yet recovered. In addition, people's purchasing power is currently decreasing.

So, it is very possible that the mall manager will experience losses due to the lack of visitors. This is because the management costs that must be incurred, however, are not accompanied by sufficient input.

"As long as the business has not recovered to normal, then, of course, there will be a deficit," Alphonsus told VOI, Friday, June 5.

He said, apart from the economic side, there were few visitors because people were still alert to the dangers of COVID-19. So, even if there is a rule on a maximum limit of 50 percent of the capacity of a shopping center, it will not mean too much.

"We estimate that the visit rate will start moving gradually and the growth will be slow because even though there has been easing, the COVID-19 outbreak is still not over," said Alphonsus.

Until when will the mall be empty of visitors?

Alphonsus said the mall would be busy again until the COVID-19 vaccine was found and the national economy recovered. This is because people's purchasing power is greatly influenced by national economic conditions.

"For shopping centers, it is estimated that new businesses will start moving back to normal once the vaccine is found," said Alphonsus

So, he said, it cannot be predicted how long the business conditions of the shopping centers will return to normal. As long as the national economy is still in a slump, it is certain that the managers will get losses.

However, the step chosen by shopping center managers is to keep opening the mall. This is because if it is not opened, the economic growth of the community will not work and it could have fatal consequences.

"It must continue to operate so that the economy can start moving again after almost three months of relative stagnation," said Alphonsus.