With the growth potential of Indonesia’s modest fashion sector still strong, several leading local brands, including Lamia Activewear, Iskanti, and Parte, shared how they expanded their market reach through online sales channels.
JAKARTA, 18 February 2021 – Indonesia’s modest fashion trend had continued to gain momentum in recent years. As the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2019/2020 ranked Indonesia third globally for the development of its modest fashion industry, after the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. According to Thomson Reuters, Indonesia was also the world’s third-largest consumer of modest fashion, with annual spending estimated at around Rp300 trillion.
The growth potential of the modest fashion sector remained significant, with global spending on modest fashion projected to reach US$402 billion by 2024. In Indonesia, demand for modest fashion typically rose sharply during Ramadan and Eid. In 2019, for example, a report by Tokopedia and iPrice found that sales of kaftans increased sevenfold compared with the same period the previous year. In 2020, Google recorded that searches for the fashion category began rising in the first week of Ramadan and peaked around the middle of the third week.
Building on previous trends, several leading modest fashion brands in Indonesia shifted their sales strategies towards online channels in 2021. Among them were Lamia Activewear, Iskanti, and Parte. All three recognised that the pandemic had encouraged more Indonesians to shop online, giving consumers the flexibility to make purchases anytime and from anywhere. This was supported by Google data, which showed a 79% increase in searches related to how to shop online during Ramadan 2020.
To reach consumers more effectively, Lamia Activewear, Iskanti, and Parte used SIRCLO Store, an e-commerce solution that enabled them to operate their own websites and streamline online transactions. One of the key reasons was to preserve each brand’s authentic character and distinct identity.
“Parte is a sustainable and ethical brand, and we believe it is important to communicate these values while educating our customers. Unfortunately, marketplaces are not the right medium for this because the visual space is limited and can feel crowded. Through SIRCLO Store, we are able to communicate our message more fully and clearly. From the overall design and choice of typeface to the photography and language used on the website, every element is carefully tailored so that customers visit because they are genuinely interested in our products, rather than simply looking for discounts or promotions,” said Qonitah Al Jundiah (Thata), Founder & Creative Director of Parte.
Automation and Time Efficiency Drive Website Adoption
Online shopping was not a temporary trend that would fade once the pandemic ended. By that time, 197 million Indonesians were already connected to the internet, and 93% of new internet users said they expected to continue relying on the convenience of online transactions in the long term. For modest fashion brands looking to grow, this made it increasingly important to strengthen their online sales strategies.
Mega Iskanti, a content creator and the Founder and CEO of Iskanti, initially sold her products solely through social media. Over time, however, managing the growing volume of orders became increasingly challenging. By launching a website through SIRCLO Store, she was able to significantly improve automation and time efficiency, helping to make the brand’s day-to-day operations more organised and streamlined.
“With a website, customers can shop at any time without needing assistance from an administrator, making the transaction process faster and more convenient. For an online store operator like me, the features available on the SIRCLO Store dashboard are also extremely helpful. The product catalogue is easy to manage, the automatic airway bill feature simplifies order fulfilment, and the available data helps me evaluate customer loyalty and preferences. Most importantly, having a website has also strengthened Iskanti’s branding by giving us a platform that truly reflects the character of our brand,” Mega said.
A similar experience was shared by Mipah Putri Suharti, Founder of Lamia Activewear, who began selling sportswear for Muslim women in 2017. From the outset, Mipah prioritised online sales, recognising that they aligned closely with the behaviour of modern consumers seeking a more time-efficient shopping experience. “Having a website has been extremely helpful, making it easier for our team to access reports, monitor order status, and stay connected with our customers,” she said.
Through SIRCLO Store, all three brands were able to use integrated payment features and real-time inventory updates, allowing customers to place orders anytime and from anywhere, including from overseas. As a partner supporting brands in selling online, SIRCLO worked to maximise their multichannel presence by enabling them to operate across multiple digital sales channels simultaneously, including their own websites, sales through WhatsApp to simplify purchasing and word-of-mouth product sharing, and marketplaces.
“Given the positive momentum in Indonesia’s modest fashion industry, we are excited to introduce more innovations and advanced features to help our brand partners prepare for Ramadan 2021. SIRCLO’s mission is to provide end-to-end support for online selling, from website development and payment verification to marketing features and automated delivery notifications. This allows brand owners to dedicate more time to strategic planning and business innovation,” said Brian Marshal, Founder and CEO of SIRCLO.
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About SIRCLO
Founded in 2013, SIRCLO is a leading e-commerce solutions company in Indonesia that helps brands sell online. SIRCLO offers four business solutions: SIRCLO Store, SIRCLO Connexi, SIRCLO Chat, and SIRCLO Commerce. SIRCLO Store is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that enables small and medium-sized local businesses to build template-based online stores. SIRCLO Connexi provides an interactive dashboard for managing sales across multiple e-commerce platforms in Indonesia. Meanwhile, SIRCLO Chat offers a conversational commerce platform through an interactive dashboard integrated with the WhatsApp Business API. Through its end-to-end channel management solution, SIRCLO Commerce supports enterprise brands in expanding into online distribution channels.
In May 2020, SIRCLO officially merged with ICUBE, a Magento Premier Solutions Partner in Indonesia, bringing together e-commerce technology development capabilities and SWIFT, an omnichannel e-commerce builder. SIRCLO Store had powered more than 100,000 websites and helped 3,000 brands grow their businesses online, including ATS The Label, Benscrub, Evete Naturals, Namaste Organic, This Is April, and Heytimmy Kidswear. SIRCLO was also trusted by dozens of clients representing more than 200 leading brands, including Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, KAO, L’Oréal, and Levi’s. At the time, SIRCLO was headquartered at Green Office Park 1, The Breeze, BSD, Tangerang, and had 500 employees, with representatives based in Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya. For more information about SIRCLO, visit www.sirclo.com.