Amidst sluggish public purchasing power and the widespread phenomenon of Rohana (Rombongan Hanya Nanya - Groups Only Asking) and Rojali (Rombongan Jarang Beli - Groups Rarely Buying) visitors, retail and shopping center entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the long weekend to boost sales. The result is quite effective, slightly increasing sales.
As we know, the government's decision to set a joint holiday on Monday, August 18, creates a long weekend from the celebration of the Indonesian Independence Day on August 17, which falls on a Sunday. Thus, the 80th Indonesian Independence Day celebration becomes a moment for various outlets to attract visitors with special discounts and promos.
One example is at the Timberland outlet in Pondok Indah Mall (PIM) 2, Jakarta, where an independence discount has been held since August 14 with a 17% price cut for certain products. Dimas, a Timberland Sales Advisor at PIM 2, said that this promo has had a direct impact on sales. "We've already sold six pieces today, and it will increase from afternoon to evening," he said.
The trend of increasing sales at Timberland has been seen since the promo started. On August 13, only six products were sold, then it rose to ten on August 14. The next day, the number increased again to 14 products, and peaked on August 16 with 16 products.
A similar situation was also seen at the Converse outlet in Bintaro Jaya Xchange Mall, Tangerang. The independence discount, which was released on August 15, offered a 20% discount for every purchase, with an additional 20% discount for consumers who buy two products at once.
Agus, Store Leader of Converse Bintaro Xchange, admitted that this promo has influenced sales, although the increase is not too significant. According to him, sales only increased by about 10% compared to the previous weekend because Converse routinely releases discount programs.
"However, compared to regular days, this independence promo is able to boost sales up to four times," he said.
The Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Tenants Association (Hippindo), Budiharjo Iduansyah, assessed that the August 17 moment succeeded in raising visitor traffic. He said that almost all types of businesses in shopping centers felt the impact, from restaurants, clothing stores, to toy stores. Promotions held simultaneously made the shopping atmosphere more lively throughout the long holiday.
However, the Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI), Alphonzus Widjaja, assessed that there are still things that need attention. Long weekends do not always have a maximum impact on shopping centers. Many middle-class people prefer to travel out of town or abroad, so shopping centers are not as crowded as during long weekends. The main support for visits is food, beverage, and entertainment outlets.
To anticipate this, APPBI is holding the Indonesia Shopping Festival (ISF) 2025 which takes place from August 14 to August 24 in 400 shopping centers. This event is targeted to increase shopping center visits by 10% to 20% with a potential transaction of around IDR 23.32 trillion. ISF is intended not only to enliven the independence celebration, but also to maintain people's purchasing power amidst the long holiday trend.
In line with that, Budiharjo said that a series of promotions such as ISF and Belanja di Indonesia Aja–Hari Belanja Diskon Indonesia (BINA HBD Indonesia) 2025 are important to maintain visitor enthusiasm. The opening of new stores, renovation of outlets, and addition of both imported and local products are considered capable of maintaining shopping interest.
Banking promo
Not only shopping centers and retailers are offering special promos for independence day, banking is also offering the same.
PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) presents various promos to welcome the 80th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia. BCA customers can enjoy attractive offers starting from IDR 17,000 to transact at various stores that provide household needs, F&B, retail, entertainment, to fashion. This promo is a form of BCA's appreciation to loyal customers, as well as a form of participation in enlivening the nation's historic moment.
"As a national banking institution, BCA is also enlivening the celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia by presenting a variety of attractive promos. Through various promos celebrating the Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, we hope to increase added value and provide a memorable shopping experience for customers," said EVP Transaction Banking Business Development Norisa Saifuddin in her statement, Thursday (08/16/2025).
The RI Anniversary promo provided by BCA can be enjoyed by customers by transacting using QRIS at myBCA, BCA mobile, Flazz, Sakuku, Debit BCA, or BCA Credit Card at various selected merchants. Complete information on independence promos from BCA can be seen on the page bca.id/hutri80.
This program takes place from August 14–August 31, 2025 and offers various attractive offers, ranging from discounts, cashback, to rewards to meet the financial and lifestyle needs of the community.
A similar thing was also done by Bank Mandiri. Senior Vice President of Digital Marketing at Bank Mandiri, Diah Eka Purwanti, revealed that this program was designed to accelerate customer transactions in the retail sector while accelerating sustainable national economic growth.
For this reason, Bank Mandiri is collaborating with dozens of well-known merchants and brands, both offline and online, including Erafone, iBox, Samsung by Erafone, Blibli, Lazada, Shopee, and Tokopedia.
"Bank Mandiri is committed to being the main choice for the community in celebrating independence while accelerating the digital economic transformation. With a comprehensive digital ecosystem, we want to present promos that not only benefit customers, but also support UMKM in line with Bank Mandiri's spirit for an Advanced Indonesia," said Diah, in her official statement, Saturday (16/8).
Various attractive offers are present throughout this promo period. Customers can enjoy discounts of up to IDR 80,000 for transactions using QRIS Livin’ by Mandiri in the Pantai Indah Kapuk Area, as well as discounts of up to IDR 35,000 at selected tenants of Inacraft Vol. IV 2025 which are spread across ten regions of Indonesia, starting from Jabodetabek, Cirebon, Bandung, Semarang, Pekalongan, Yogyakarta, Madura, Malang, Bali, to Mataram.
In the investment sector, there is a reward of up to Rp 250,000 for purchasing SBR014 through the Livin' Investasi feature. For financing, Bank Mandiri offers admin fee discounts of up to Rp 800,000 for Mandiri Auto applications, a welcoming bonus of up to Rp 1 million for Mandiri Credit Card applications, a special interest rate of 8.80% fixed for 10 years for Mandiri KPR, and interest rates starting from 9.25% for Mandiri KSM.
For those looking to open a savings account, there are fee discounts of up to Rp 200,000 for opening an All in One Package Savings account, a special reward for Business Savings accounts, and an e-voucher of Rp 100,000 for opening a Savings Plan account.
Meanwhile, in the lifestyle segment, Livin' Sukha users can get a Rp 50,000 discount for shopping at Alfamart, Rp 45,000 for transactions at Klik Indomaret, and up to Rp 180,000 for Ultra Voucher purchases. For more detailed information about Bank Mandiri's 80th Independence Day promo, visit bmri.id/fomoHUTRI
Driving sales
Bank Mandiri's research in 2024 shows that long weekend holidays increase public spending by up to 14.4% compared to regular weekends. Meanwhile, in 2025, long weekend holidays increased public spending by up to 13.8% compared to regular weekends.
The retail sub-sector that most enjoyed the increase in turnover during the long weekend holidays was restaurants, with an index value reaching 427.7. This is higher than the retail sub-sectors of supermarkets and fashion stores, which were 291.5 and 133.9 respectively.
Despite many long weekends, this does not seem to encourage many people to travel long distances. One indicator is that public spending on hotel costs did not experience a significant increase.
The Mandiri Spending Index (MSI) in June 2025 was recorded at 269.5 points, up from 255.4 points in May thanks to the momentum of joint leave and holidays. The Bank Mandiri Institute estimates that without holidays, the spending index would be 5% to 8% lower.
However, Yusuf Rendy Manilet, a researcher at the Center of Reform on Economics (CORE), believes that this kind of consumption surge is not evenly distributed across all community groups.
"The impact is more pronounced for the upper middle class, whose consumption is relatively independent of government stimulus," said Yusuf. According to him, promos and long holidays rarely have a major effect on the lower middle class, who are sensitive to prices and highly dependent on direct government assistance.
He assesses that the increase in consumption that appears during the August 17 long weekend is limited. "There is indeed an impact on the middle and upper classes, but the influence is small for other groups," he said. Moreover, there was no additional stimulus from the government as had been given in the previous quarter.
Yusuf emphasized that the middle class is in a vulnerable position. They no longer receive regular assistance like the poor, but are also not as flexible as the upper class. "This 'just enough' group tends to hold back on spending despite many promos," he said.
Yusuf emphasized that the middle class is in a vulnerable position. They no longer receive regular assistance like the poor, but are also not as flexible as the upper class.
The phenomenon seen in shopping centers also reflects the behavior of the middle class. Many visitors simply browse or compare prices with online platforms before deciding to buy. This, said Yusuf, is reflected in the Rojali-Rohana phenomenon. "Some come, ask for prices, then go home because they feel it's cheaper to buy online," said Yusuf.
Yusuf also reminded of the importance of distinguishing between seasonal trends and sustainable improvements. "We need to see if this consumption pattern continues in September or October. Our suspicion is that this is a seasonal phenomenon due to holidays and promos," he explained.
To encourage sustainable consumption, he believes the government needs to provide more targeted stimulus. Cash assistance could be a quick step to boost spending, but more fundamental is the creation of formal employment with decent wages and social security.
"Short-term stimulus is important, but it must be balanced with medium and long-term policies. The government needs to encourage social mobility so that the poor can move up to the middle class, and the middle class can move up to the upper class," said Yusuf. He emphasized that formal work with guaranteed wages and social protection is key to maintaining purchasing power.
The main focus should be directed at the middle class, which is large in number but is now under pressure. "If this group is not taken care of, it is difficult to expect consumption to continue to grow. The government must ensure that policies truly target them," said Yusuf. That way, the long holiday momentum is not just a seasonal discount party, but rather a gateway to maintaining people's purchasing power more sustainably.
In addition, government policies also influence visitor enthusiasm. Budiharjo hopes that the government can maintain political and security stability so that consumers remain enthusiastic about shopping. Because excessive regulation will actually hinder consumers and harm the business world.
"If the regulations are burdensome, consumers can run away to shop abroad, and domestic businesses will suffer," he said.
Writers: Benediktus Krisna Yogatama, Harits Arrazie, and Chris Wibisana
