Crocs Crazy
The traffic jam in front of the Senayan City Mall were unusual, especially since it was not a rush hour. The parking lots were full of car and motorcycles and the workers and guards seems helpless with the vehicle flow: more goes in than out!
The queue of human were seen already from the main front gate of the mall. Entering the mall, an unbelievable queue were seen up to the 6th floor.
The shoes company, Crocs give special discounts up to 70%. This is not the first time that this company giving discount sales. And everytime it gives discount, the mall would be full filled with customers, who has to stand and sit in queue following the spiral shape of the building from the ground floor up to the 6th floor and then two other hidden floors to the 8th floor, the so called "the Hall".
Some of them has already queued since 7am, already before the majority of the stores inside the mall open. Some people said "it's great since today is holiday!" While the Hindus in Indonesia has to stay at home, be quiet, fasting, no fire and no enterntainment, the crowds here at the Senayan City Mall were unbelievable loud. Their faces shows anxiety for not getting the crocs they wants.
Crocs shoes has become famous in Indonesia in the last 3 years for it's softness and comfort. Although there were some issues regarding Crocs shoes and escalators, there seems no issue for indonesian to get a crocs, since it's famous and trendy. The cost (USD 30-100) is high for average Indonesian who, according to the government, has GDP per capita around USD 2500 a year.
Some of the customers said they had to stand in the queue for over than 2 hours. Inside the Hall, the atmosphere was in rush, everybody seems to be in rush, picking and trying all the crocs they could see. Some were carrying large plastic bags for making easy to grab all shoes possible and sort it later somewhere at the corner before paying for it. Kids and adults, young and old, women and men all rushing to find their crocs. Some mother ask the announcer to call their children who was lost in the middle of the crocs-hunting crowds. Families gather in circle and sorting which shoes for whom.
Meanwhile, in front of the cashier were no queue seen. The Hall become more full, since the customer flow were unbalanced. The event organisator has said that they are targeting over than 20.000 customers during the event from 15-19th March.
The hunting party goes on, until the mall has to close it's doors. But tomorrow it will start over again. They are crazy for crocs....
