Southeast Asia’s Largest Wholesale Market, Tanah Abang, Bustles with Shoppers Ahead of Ramadan

Author: Dian Kencana
February 24, 2025

Customers are seen flocking to one of the blocks at Tanah Abang Market, Central Jakarta, ahead of the entry of the month of Ramadan, Sunday (23/2/2025). (ANTARA/Yamsyina Hawnan)

SEAToday.com, Jakarta - As the holy month of Ramadan 1446 Hijri approaches, Tanah Abang Market in Central Jakarta is increasingly crowded with visitors shopping for various fashion needs, including clothing, footwear, robes, and prayer garments.

Sukma, a longtime vendor at Southeast Asia’s largest wholesale market, revealed that the surge in visitors has been noticeable even before the fasting month begins.

"It always gets busy before Ramadan, but this year, the number of shoppers seems even higher. Alhamdulillah," she said when met in Jakarta on Sunday (2/23).

As quoted from ANTARA, to meet customer demand, Sukma has stocked up on popular Ramadan essentials such as robes, blouses, pants, prayer garments, and shoes. She also noted that in the past week, her sales revenue has doubled compared to regular days.

"People come looking for all kinds of items, from casual wear and robes to pants and prayer garments. Over the past week, my sales have doubled," she explained.

Sukma believes that the number of visitors will continue to rise in the final days leading up to Ramadan.

Apart from individual buyers, Tanah Abang Market is also a key destination for wholesale traders who purchase in bulk to resell in various regions.

Manda, for example, regularly buys large quantities of clothing at Tanah Abang Market to ship to stores outside the island.

"I resell these items, so I buy in bulk here and send them to my regular customers across different regions. The prices are cheaper, and if I buy in large quantities, I can negotiate for better deals," she explained.

The same goes for Rozik (53), a merchant from Lampung who visits Tanah Abang Market every year to stock up on clothing for resale.

"I always shop here—I’ve never gone anywhere else. For traders like me, Tanah Abang is the best place," he said.

As Ramadan draws closer, the market is expected to become even more crowded, driven by the high demand for fashion items to welcome the holy month.