Pertamina MSMEs Achieve Transactions of Up to IDR 4.2 Billion at Inacraft 2024, Here is the Secret!
Jakarta, March 4, 2024 - The International Handicraft Trade Fair (INACRAFT) 2024 officially ended on Sunday (03/03). During the five-day exhibition, 29 Pertamina-fostered MSMEs achieved transactions of up to IDR 4.2 billion, increasing by 40% from the target of IDR 3 billion.
Pertamina's MSMEs booth received positive responses from potential buyers domestically and internationally, successfully introducing Indonesian local crafts to domestic and international communities.
"Vistors’ high enthusiasm at Pertamina-fostered MSMEs booths at the INACRAFT 2024 event is evident from the total sales reached up to IDR 4.2 billion during the 5-day exhibition," said Fadjar Djoko Santoso, VP of Corporate Communication of PT Pertamina (Persero).
At Inacraft 2024, Pertamina showcased many new MSMEs while maintaining the best product quality due to a rigorous curation process. Java Kulit Indonesia, an MSME from Balikpapan, one of the participants in Inacraft 2024, assisted by Pertamina, attracted many visitors’ attention despite initially having sales of less than IDR 1 million. Gilang, the owner of Java Kulit Indonesia, did not give up but became more active in observing the different characteristics of visitors, unlike typical consumers in Balikpapan.
"On the first day, I offered discounts on certain products. The next day, I tried to sell products without discounts, aiming to test market interest," he said. However, this strategy failed because there were no visitors interested in his products, let alone making purchases. As a result, sales on the second day of the exhibition plummeted from IDR 7 million to only IDR 750 thousand.
According to Gilang, differences in fashion tastes between consumers in Balikpapan and Jakarta were one of the challenges he faced. Therefore, less popular and considered old school products were sold at cost price to keep the production running.
Subsequently, Gilang began to experiment with the "curiosity" concept, where visitors were informed that Balikpapan had quality genuine leather products, and his products were one of the best in the city, near the National Capital City (IKN).
This strategy succeeded, as many visitors arrived and made purchases, resulting in a significant increase in sales, up to hundreds of million rupiahs. Gilang even received offers from buyers from Singapore and the United States, who were interested in his leather belt products and requested offers for leather shirts and T-shirts.
To further attract visitors' interest, Gilang stated that Java Kulit is a Balikpapan product near IKN. "We will also offer a special price if purchased directly at the Java Kulit gallery in Balikpapan. Meanwhile, offers from buyers will be followed up after the exhibition ends," concluded Gilang.
Similar experiences were also encountered by Menday Craft, an MSME under the Serdang Bedagai Sumut Rumah BUMN with pandan slippers and sea pandan mats, which were sold out on the 4th day, despite having restocked three times.
Likewise, Lady’s Fashion and Creativity, an MSME under the Aceh Tamiang Rumah BUMN, became the target of exhibition visitors, especially for their wrap skirts with Acehnese embroidery and bags adorned with embroidery. Until the last day of the exhibition, their booth was continuously visited by visitors, with 100 embroidered bags ready to be sent to new customers.
It proves that MSME products have competitive quality. In this internationally recognized exhibition, local products are on par with major brands and receive positive responses from visitors.
In a separate interview, Fadjar added that Pertamina will continue to strive to ensure that MSMEs grow rapidly each year, including by promoting national exhibitions, especially on a global scale, to support its fostered MSMEs across Indonesia in improving product quality and exporting them abroad.
In addition to easy access to capital, Pertamina has flagship programs for MSME development, including UMK Academy and Pertapreneur Aggregator, e-learning and offline module training, business certification, product displays in public areas such as Terminal 3 SKH, aid grants, publication, exhibitions, and e-commerce sales.
In line with this vision, Pertamina is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 achievement target by continuously promoting a series of programs that have a positive impact on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All of these initiatives are in line with the implementation of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) across all Pertamina business sectors and operations.
Pertamina, as a leading company in the energy transition, is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuously promoting programs that directly impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement. All these efforts align with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) implementation across all Pertamina's business lines and operations.**