ER
COORDINATING Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto has stated that the sustained growth in online shopping transaction data indicates that the public’s purchasing power remains robust.
On Tuesday (08/5), 2025 in Jakarta, he stated that, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), online retail and marketplace transactions had increased by 7.55% quarter-to-quarter (qtq) in the second quarter of 2025.
“Retail and marketplace growth was 7.55% quarter-to-quarter. This growth is consistent with the Indonesian economy, which expanded by 5.12% year-on-year (yoy) in the second quarter of 2025,” stated Airlangga Hartarto.
However, he did not specify the number of transactions recorded in the first and second quarters of this year.
However, Airlangga provided a detailed overview of the significant growth in online shopping transactions that took place last year. The number of online shopping transactions in 2024 was recorded at 3.24 billion, which is more than 11 times the number of transactions that were made in 2018.
He stated that the increase in transactions was primarily due to growth in purchases of personal care products and cosmetics, as well as household and office products.
In 2024, the transaction value for personal care and cosmetic products was recorded at IDR 67.6 trillion, marking a 16.95% year-on-year increase. Meanwhile, the transaction value for household and office products increased by 29.38% year-on-year, reaching IDR 72.8 trillion.
Airlangga stated that this data demonstrates a shift in people’s shopping behavior, with a growing preference for online platforms.
“If we examine consumer spending, we observe a shift towards online shopping,” he stated.
He also highlighted the financial performance data of three major Indonesian retail companies that experienced profit and revenue growth of more than 5% throughout the first half of 2025.
The three companies are PT Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Tbk (listed code: AMRT), the operator of Alfamart; PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk (MAPI), which manages international brands such as SOGO and ZARA; and PT MAP Aktif Adiperkasa Tbk (MAPA), which manages retail stores from Sports Station to Kidz Station.
In the first half of 2025, revenue and net profit growth for AMRT, MAPI, and MAPA reached 7.76% year-on-year (yoy) and 4.99% year-on-year (yoy); 8.72% year-on-year (yoy) and 6.85% year-on-year (yoy); and 11.51% year-on-year (yoy) and 12.87% year-on-year (yoy).
After reviewing the data, Airlangga stated that the issues of “Rohana” (the “Just Asking Group”) and “Rojali” (the “Rarely Buying Group”), which are often associated with weakening purchasing power, have been overstated.
The data on shopping transactions, as well as retail revenue and profit, indicate that the Rohana and Rojali issues have been overstated. The facts tell a different story. It is imperative that we examine this data,” he concluded. [sources/photo special]
