Window shopping rises as middle-class spending slows in Jakarta

The Star

02-08-2025

JAKARTA: As living costs rise and disposable income shrinks, many Jakartans are increasingly turning to malls not for shopping, but for strolling.
Window shopping, once considered a casual pastime, has become a meaningful part of urban life, offering comfort and even emotional relief amid economic pressure.
In recent months, social media has buzzed with humorous acronyms like Rojali (rombongan jarang beli, or "groups that rarely buy") and Rohana (rombongan hanya nanya, or "groups that only ask"), reflecting a growing trend of mall-goers who browse but seldom purchase.
The Rojali-Rohana phenomenon has struck a chord with many Jakartans living in a city teeming with nearly 100 shopping malls, but with few accessible public spaces.
On a typical Thursday afternoon, while much of Jakarta battles traffic jams and office deadlines, 37-year-old Fitria steps into Plaza Senayan, a four-story upscale mall in Central Jakarta, without a single intention to buy anything.
Calling herself a regular mall-goer, Fitria spends hours browsing store displays, trying on clothes and testing perfumes. F
or her, window shopping brings joy as she can physically explore into catalogs of products at stores before making any purchases online.
'Visiting malls feels relieving because I can experience the products in person without the pressure to spend,' said the housewife from South Jakarta's Kebayoran Baru on Thursday (July 31).
She added that malls offer a comfortable indoor escape for her daily routine, especially as the outdoor pollution is often overwhelming.
For Theo, a 19-year-old university student, malls offer more than just consumer goods, they provide an affordable social and recreational venue.
'This is a practical alternative for walking around,' he said. '
We don't always have to buy something, but malls still offer entertainment like movies or coffee shops.'
Both Fitria and Theo said they are unbothered by the Rojali-Rohana stereotypes, asserting that malls should be inclusive spaces, not consumption-driven obligations.
While window shopping is not new, the growing number of people doing it without spending has raised concerns about economic slowdown.
A recent report from the Mandiri Institute, the research arm of state-owned lender Bank Mandiri, linked the phenomenon to a weakening middle-class purchasing power and more selective spending behaviour.
Analyzing Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) transaction data from January to May, the report shows a significant shift toward 'experiential' spending.
Transactions at experience-based merchants like restaurants, cinemas and playgrounds jumped 102 per cent, while those at product-based retailers grew by only 62.5 per cent.
'The weakening purchasing power is arguably caused by financial pressures, forcing the middle class to opt for cheaper shopping methods [online],' said Mandiri Institute analyst Nabila Kusworo on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Psychologist Hastaning Sakti of Diponegoro University noted that beyond economic reasons, window shopping can serve as a form of retail therapy, a way to feel emotionally uplifted by the act of browsing, even without buying.
'For many urban dwellers, it provides a sense of both prestige and comfort,' she said.
Urban sociologist Rakhmat Hidayat from Jakarta State University adds that the rise of mall strolling is also rooted in Jakarta's lack of adequate public space.
'Visiting malls is essentially free. People don't have to buy anything [while they can enjoy] spacious spaces'. - The Jakarta Post/ANN