National Shopping Business Shows Recovery

mall and shopping Center.
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In the first 2 years since Covid-19 attacked Indonesia, mall and shopping businesses are struggling to maintain their existence. This business sector continues to survive amid the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) and Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) policies that have been in place since early 2020 until now. However, they could now breathe a sigh of relief.

From the end of the first quarter to the second quarter of this year, the mall or shopping center condition has been crowded with people, both on weekdays and weekends. On weekends, it is difficult to find parking in shopping center areas in Jakarta such as Pacific Place, Pondok Indah Mall, Gandaria City, Grand Indonesia, Senayan City, Kota Kasablanka, and others. This shows shopping business recovery.

Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI) Alphonzus Widjaja said the level of visits to shopping centers had begun to gradually increase again since the government gave various easings in August 2021, named after the peak of the Delta variant, although it was interrupted for a while, namely in February 2022. namely at the time of an increase in the number of positive cases of Covid-19 due to the Omicron variant.

The spread of Covid-19, which was relatively under control before Ramadan in 2022 and with the permitting of homecoming activities, greatly impacted the increase in visits to shopping centers, which had managed to record an average of 80 percent to 90 percent.

It is projected that if the Covid-19 pandemic conditions can continue to be controlled, the visit rate to shopping centers this year can reach 80 percent to 90 percent as before the pandemic in 2019.

The visit rate at shopping centers in 2020 reached around 50 percent and rose 10 percent to 60 percent visits in 2021.

After the positive cases number of Covid-19 has been relatively successfully controlled before and after Ramadan and Eid in 2022, it is of course very important to keep these good conditions under control.

“The good conditions that have been successfully achieved will make it easier to accelerate the shopping business recovery,” he said.

Indeed, currently, there is an increase in the number of positive cases of Covid-19, but it is estimated that the impact will not be as large as during the Delta and Omicron variants because currently the vaccination rate is much higher and booster vaccination achievements are still being pushed.

“The community has also become more independent in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

Although the government is promoting the mandatory requirement for Booster vaccinations and the reuse of masks outdoors, this has no impact on shopping centers.