Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Retail

  • Indonesian Retailers Preparing for Christmas-New Year Season

    Approaching the end of the year, retail companies in Indonesia are now starting to prepare for the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations in late-December. Indonesia has two traditional peaks of rising consumer demand (hence rising inflationary pressures): (1) Ramadan/Idul Fitri festivities and (2) Christmas/New Year celebrations.

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  • Traditional Retail Sector Indonesia Needs to Adapt to Digital Reality

    Traditional retail companies in Indonesia need to change their business-as-usual mindset to overcome fierce competition from online shops or e-commerce. In line with rising Internet and smartphone penetration as well as improving infrastructure, more and more goods and services can now be purchased online - often at more competitive rates -, implying the role of Indonesia's "old fashioned" traditional retail companies is on the decline.

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  • Bank Indonesia's Retail Sales Survey: Decline in July 2017

    Indonesia's retail sales declined in July 2017 in line with the return to normal consumption patterns after the Ramadan and Idul Fitri celebrations ended. This is reflected in Bank Indonesia's retail sales index that showed a 3.3 percent decline year-on-year (y/y), after a 6.3 percent (y/y) increase in the preceding month. The decline in Indonesia's retail sales occurred in both food and non-food groups.

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  • Retail Sales Indonesia Expected to Remain Bleak in Remainder 2017

    Bleak retail sales in Indonesia are expected to continue in the second half of 2017 amid weak consumer purchasing power. Yongky Susilo, Executive Director at Retailer Services Nielsen Indonesia, expects the nation's retail sales growth to be be 6 percent year-on-year (y/y), tops. Normally, the growth pace of retail sales in Southeast Asia's largest economy averages 10 - 11 percent (y/y).

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  • Retail News Indonesia: Minang Mart Allowed to Grow in West Sumatra

    Also on the regional level there exists protectionism in Indonesia. One example comes from West Sumatra, a province that is known for its beautiful countryside and Minangkabau culture. Local authorities in West Sumatra have closed opportunities for modern national convenience stores - such as Indomaret and Alfamart - to enter the province in an attempt to protect the local (small and mid-sized) retailers.

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  • Electronics & Retail Sales Indonesia Bleak Around Idul Fitri

    Sales of electronics in Indonesia in the second quarter of 2017 are expected to have remained stuck at the same level as in the first quarter amid bleak demand. Ali Soebroto, Chairman of the Indonesian Electronics Industries Association (Gabel), said domestic sales growth of electronics has not risen significantly in Q2-2017 and, in fact, is far from the target. Soebroto attributed these weak electronic sales to people's preference to purchase goods that are related to the fasting month (Ramadan) such as food products or clothes.

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  • Indonesia Posts 3rd-Largest Modern Retail Sales Growth in Asia

    In 2016 Indonesia was the third-largest Asian country in terms of modern retail sales growth after India and China. Last year Indonesia's modern retail sales expanded 10 percent to IDR 200 trillion (approx. USD $15 billion). Roy Nicholas Mandey, Chairman of the Indonesian Retailers Association (Aprindo), said Indonesia remains an attractive country for retailers due to the enormous size of the population. Moreover, due to economic growth this population constitutes a strengthening consumer force. Lastly, Indonesians are known as people who are eager to try and buy new products.

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  • Great Potential in Indonesia's Modern Retail, Food & Beverage Sectors

    Both Indonesia's processed food and beverage industry and modern retail sectors are considered to have great potential for the next three years due to Indonesia's huge domestic market, expanding middle class as well as sharply rising Internet and smartphone penetration (giving rise to a rapidly developing e-commerce industry). Meanwhile, accelerated economic growth and low inflation are the right recipe to boost people's purchasing power, hence boosting sales.

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  • Indonesia Investments' Newsletter of 12 June 2016 Released

    On 12 June 2016, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website over the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic matters such as Indonesia's 2016 economic growth revisions, the property market, retail sector, Trans-Sumatra toll road, but also social matters such as child labor and human rights violations.

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Latest Columns Retail

  • Battle of the Retailers: Department Stores vs E-Commerce Platforms

    After the closing of several Ramayana Department Stores and Matahari Department Stores, as well as the (planned) closing of all remaining Lotus Department Stores (per 26 October 2017) in Indonesia, Indonesia's conventional department store industry needs to come up with a new strategy or shopping concept to survive amid increasingly fierce competition from domestic and global e-commerce platforms.

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  • Retail Sector in Indonesia: Lulu Group Opens New Hypermarket

    Lulu Hypermarket, the Abu Dhabi-based hypermarket chain and retail venture that was started by Lulu Group International in 2000, opened its second hypermarket store in Indonesia, and its 137th store worldwide. The new outlet in Indonesia was opened in Serpong (Tangerang, Banten). Previously, the group had already opened a hypermarket in Cakung (East Jakarta) in 2016.

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  • Government Reregulates Minimarkets & Convenience Stores in Indonesia?

    The government of Indonesia is studying the possibility of issuing a presidential regulation that sets new rules regarding convenience stores and minimarkets in all Indonesian provinces. The aim of this regulation would be to protect the traditional retail shops and markets of Indonesia. Indonesia's Trade Ministry is currently studying the issue. Darmin Nasution, Minister of Economic Affairs, said the new regulation would not be aimed at undermining the minimarket sector of Indonesia.

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  • Indonesian Department Stores in Focus: Ramayana Lestari Sentosa

    Ramayana Lestari Sentosa, one of Indonesia's biggest department stores, is expected to see improving corporate earnings in the years ahead. In the first nine months of 2016 the company's sales reached IDR 6.4 trillion (approx. USD $492 million), or about 77 percent of the full-year sales target that was set by Danareksa Sekuritas (IDR 8.07 trillion). This strong performance is primarily supported by same-store sales growth in Jakarta (+8.7 percent y/y), Java (+7.3 percent), and outside Java (+4.1 percent).

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  • Ace Hardware Indonesia Plagued by Weak Rupiah & Purchasing Power

    Ace Hardware Indonesia, one of Indonesia's leading retail companies that is engaged in the markets of home improvement and lifestyle products, is expected to show modest (single-digit) growth in 2016. Same store sales growth is estimated to grow in the range of 8-10 percent year-on-year (y/y). This modest performance is caused by weak purchasing power in Indonesia amid sluggish economic growth and due to the fragile rupiah (against the US dollar).

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  • Indonesia's Retail Sales Accelerate in November; Positive Outlook for 2014

    Indonesian retail sales surged 14 percent in November 2013 from one year earlier (the highest growth rate since July 2013). On a month-to-month basis, Indonesia's retail sales increased 1.5 percent from October 2013. These findings were the result of a survey conducted by the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia), which surveyed 650 retailers in 10 Indonesian cities. The bank's survey also indicated that Indonesian retailers may increase prices of their products in 2014 in order to compensate for the depreciating rupiah exchange rate.

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  • Jakarta Composite Index Continues Upward Trend due to Retail Sales

    Retail sales in May 2013 rose 1.5 percent (month to month) or 8.6 percent (year on year) in Indonesia according to a publication of Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) released on Tuesday evening (16/07). The report made a positive impact on today's trading day as stocks in Indonesia's consumer goods sector rose 2.5 percent. Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) gained 0.75 percent to end at the level of 4,679.00 points. Foreigner investors are still mostly avoiding the Indonesian stock market, but did record a net purchase today.

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  • The Rise of Matahari Department Store in Indonesia's Retail Sector

    Within a timespan of a few years only, Matahari Department Store has shown impressive growth. Its market capitalization increased from IDR 146 billion (US $15 million) in late 2008 to a current IDR 31.95 trillion (US $3.28 billion). The company, which sells fashion apparel, accessories and beauty products, is now the largest company in Indonesia's retail sector, outperforming other giant retailers, such as Alfa Supermarket or Hero Supermarket.

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