"The peak of visits to shopping centers during Ramadan, in general, will occur one to two weeks before Eid al-Fitr," he said when contacted on Wednesday.
He noted that the revocation of the public activity restrictions (PPKM) policy by the government is expected to push up shopping center visits to 100 percent of the pre-pandemic level during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
"This year is the first Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr without restrictions, after three consecutive years followed by various restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
According to him, ahead of Eid al-Fitr, in general, people will start to buy goods to prepare for the festive day. Some of the most commonly bought goods by the public are Eid clothing and other non-food and beverage products.
"As usual, during Ramadan, in general, people will shop for goods or products in the non-food and beverage (Non-F&B) category, and during holidays or Eid al-Fitr, they will switch to the food and beverage (F&B) and entertainment categories," he said.
The APPBI chairperson noted that this year, following the revocation of the PPKM policy, shopping centers have again begun holding various promotions, events, and activities, from entertainment-based activities to religious-based activities, which were previously restricted.
President Joko Widodo, on December 30, 2022, announced an end to the PPKM policy that had been enforced to control COVID-19 transmission in Indonesia.
The revocation of the PPKM policy translates to the fact that there will be no more restrictions on public activities and mobility, according to the President. Despite the policy's revocation, he still appealed to people to remain careful and vigilant.
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Translator: Lifia Mawaddah, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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