Dairy Farm International says it has now closed 74 stores in Indonesia – and more will follow before the year ends.

Dairy Farm is the majority owner of the PT Hero retail network which includes supermarkets, Guardian pharmacies and Starmart convenience stores, which at the beginning of this year numbered 715.

In July the company said it had shuttered 39 of its 75 stores bearing the Starmart brand. Last week it issued new figures showing 74 stores have now closed, including 22 Guardian pharmacies.

“We are closing stores every year and every semester. We believe that we need that to change our portfolio,” said finance director, Xafier Thiry, adding that while more would close in the latter part of this year, the pace of the cull would slow.

Dairy Farm’s network has been hit hard by the Indonesian government’s ban on convenience stores selling alcohol which took effect in April. A general economic slowdown has not helped sales of other goods. In July Dairy Farm said it was reviewing the future of the Starmart business.

The other stores closed so far this year were 10 Ekspres and Hero stores and three Ekstra stores.