"We estimate the level of visits to shopping centers in 2022 will be better than in 2020 and 2021. If in 2020, the national average was only 50 percent of normal conditions (before the pandemic), 2021 was 60 percent, in 2022, we predict it can be 70 to 80 percent," chairman of the central executive board of APPBI, Alphonzus Widjaja, said here on Wednesday.
The average number of visitors in one medium-sized mall per day was recorded at 30 thousand in 2019, that is during the normal situation before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
According to Widjaja, although online shopping has currently become a trend due to activity restrictions imposed amid the pandemic, people still miss shopping at malls.
"I think now people have missed malls after two years of not going to malls because of various restrictions," he said.
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The current increase in the number of visits to shopping centers is due to the improvement in the COVID-19 situation, wherein the government has begun to ease restrictions on people's mobility, he added. In addition, most people have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Despite the easing of restrictions, he reminded the community to implement strict health protocols while shopping. Malls must also continue to use the government's PeduliLindungi application to ensure the safety of visitors.
Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will need to face two challenges in order to sell their products at malls amid the increasing number of visitors, he said.
"From the MSME side, what must be a concern is the consistency of the quality of goods and supply. If they enter a shopping center, the supply must be maintained, as well as the quality," he explained.
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Translator: Suci Nurhaliza, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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