DIGIVESTASI - Jatinegara Market Becoming More Quiet, Traders' Revenue Continues to Decline, Jatinegara Market, also known as Pasar Mester, is increasingly deserted by buyers. This situation has had a significant impact on the decline in sales revenue of traders at Jakarta's oldest market.

Tono, a wholesale shoe trader at Pasar Mester, revealed that the decrease in the number of buyers had actually been felt years before the pandemic. However, the situation has worsened in recent years.

"The decline had started before the pandemic, but at that time it wasn't so severe. During the pandemic, all traders really went down," Tono said when met on Monday, January 6, 2024.

After the pandemic, there was a slight improvement, but that condition did not last long. "After the pandemic, there was a slight improvement, but it didn't last long, probably just for a year. The last two years, starting from 2023, have seen the steepest decline," he explained.

Tono also complained that the decrease in the number of buyers did not only happen on regular days but also during significant moments such as before Eid or the start of the school year.

"When selling shoes, it’s usually busy before Eid or during back-to-school preparation. Normally, a month or two before, it would already be busy. But now it’s really quiet, it’s like there’s no special moment," he said.

He also compared the situation now to the past. "In the past, during Ramadan, the market would be so crowded, people could barely walk. Now, you can even choose a parking spot. From earlier, how many have passed by? Not even asking about prices," he added.

According to Tono, many buyers, who are retail traders themselves, are holding off on purchasing goods because their own products are hard to sell.

"In the past, many traders were willing to pawn their vehicle certificates to increase capital before Ramadan, because they were confident their goods would sell. Now they don't dare, they only order if the goods are really about to run out," he revealed.

As a result, Tono's shoe store's revenue has drastically declined by more than 70% compared to before the pandemic. Customers from Jakarta and even from outside the city have also been holding off on purchases.

"The decline is nearly 70% compared to before the pandemic," he said.

Decline in Number of Buyers Since 2017

A similar situation is felt by Andi, a clothing trader at Jatinegara Market. According to him, the decline in the number of buyers has been happening since 2017, even though the market still seemed crowded at that time.

"The market was still crowded, but our sales were already declining. Because when selling, you look at the buyers, not just the market crowd," Andi said.

He explained that the change in customer shopping patterns became an indicator of declining sales revenue. "For example, customers who used to buy twice a week, now buy once a week. That has a big impact on sales," he added.

The pandemic further worsened the situation, and to this day, his store’s sales have not shown significant improvement. Andi estimates that his store’s sales have declined by 70-80%.

"If you calculate it, the decline is around 70-80%. I don’t have the exact bookkeeping, but that’s the estimate," Andi concluded.

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