He said that the 2,400 stores, opened by members of the Indonesian Retail Merchants Association (Aprindo), have helped boost exports and promote Indonesian-made products abroad.
"If we open more stores, we can sell more of our products there. We hope to expand to Malaysia, Bangladesh, and other countries," he said at the launch of the 2025 National Retail Day in Jakarta on Thursday.
Beyond goods and commodities, Indonesia also aims to increase exports in the service sector.
"We started with the Philippines, and we're exploring ways to expand into Bangladesh and Malaysia," Santoso said.
Aprindo Chairperson Solihin noted that the stores operating in the Philippines adopt the same concept and service standards as those in Indonesia.
He added that many of these 2,400 stores — some of which have been operating for over a decade — continue to expand and import a large portion of their products from Indonesia. He emphasized that partnerships with local businesses are key to entering the Philippine market.
Solihin also confirmed that Aprindo is ready to expand to Bangladesh.
"We've been operating in the Philippines for years. We currently have 2,400 stores there, and our expansion into Bangladesh is ready to launch soon," he said.
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Translator: Maria Cicilia G, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Anton Santoso
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