Putaririf febrila

Bulk buyer

Putri Arif Febrila, 26-year-old co-founder of The Bulkstore & Co., saw the light when she was living in Taiwan. “I was studying fashion design (she gained a Master’s degree in Brand and Fashion Management from Fu Jen Catholic University) when I discovered how sustainable a society Taiwan had become,” she says. “This inspired me to start learning more about the subject.”

With its initial branches in Menteng and Kemang, The Bulkstore & Co. is an ambitious experiment in retailing, launched just last May. “It’s for a good reason that bulk stores are making waves around Jakarta,” says the company’s website. “By advocating against single-use plastic packaging and overconsumption, bulk stores urge Jakartans to tackle the city’s waste issue. Small and concise, don’t let the size of the store fool you. The store carries all the pantry staples for your daily amenities. It has got you covered with its range of organic and local ingredients, which many are directly sourced from local farmers and producers.”

Putri says the idea of opening a bulk store came up in 2017. “We were thinking that our primary necessity is food, so we came to the idea of opening a store where we sold daily necessities in an environmentally friendly way. A few of my co-founders (Helga Angelina, Rinda Liem, Debora Gondokusumo and Caroline Febrianty) and I started brainstorming earlier this year. It’s a dream for me to open this store.”