Jakarta Sees Rise in “Rojali” and “Rohana” Shoppers as E-commerce Dominates pricing
A growing trend of consumers visiting malls primarily to examine products before purchasing them online, a phenomenon dubbed “Rojali” (responsible for buying, just looking) and “Rohana” (responsible for looking, just buying), is presenting challenges for brick-and-mortar retailers in Jakarta.
Dinda, a 21-year-old final-year student observed at Grand Indonesia, explained her shopping strategy: “I went to the mall first to see the item directly. But I still buy it at e-commerce because the price is much cheaper.” for Dinda, mall visits serve as a form of “field research” to verify product quality and suitability before committing to an online purchase, citing significant price differences as the primary motivator.
This sentiment is echoed by Rani (22) and Roshi (25), private employees from Malang, who also prioritize inspecting items in person.They often postpone purchases, waiting for favorable financial conditions or viewing it as a form of “self-reward.”
Retail workers are directly experiencing the impact of this shift. Alro,an optical shopkeeper at Grand Indonesia with eight years of experience,has witnessed an increase in “Rojali” and “Rohana” shoppers over the past two years.”In the past, people when they went to optics, surely buy. Now many are just trying. Some even only make content,” he stated.
Alro attributes this change to declining purchasing power and intense price competition from e-commerce platforms. “discount e-commerce is really big. Cheaper prices. So we lose,” he admitted, highlighting the significant price advantages offered by online retailers.
