Penang Shopping
  
   
During its heydays as a duty-free island, Penang drew multitudes of people hungry for shopping adventures. Although Langkawi has taken over the duty-free status once held by Penang, the island has not lost its lustre.

From shopping malls to night markets and antique shops to cultural areas, Penang has the whole gamut of commodities for sale. During the annual nationwide shopping festivals in August, Penang becomes a massive hub of commercial excitement as locals and tourists flock to cash in on the shopping boom.

Bargaining is the culture here. When it comes to shops and stalls, do your best to haggle for the best price. There’s no price that can’t be lowered down with the proper know-how and bargaining. And if the price doesn’t suit you, always look around elsewhere!


Shopping Malls

Shopping centres and department stores have shot all over the Penang landscape in recent years to accommodate the constant rush of shoppers. Find the typical range of goods from designer brands to fresh fruits under one roof in any of these malls. Shopping centres open from 10:00 – 22:00 daily. On certain festive occasions, they may open all the way up to 24:00! The most popular shopping malls include KOMTAR (the tallest building in Penang which can be seen across the island), Gurney Plaza, Island Plaza and Midlands One-Stop Shopping Centre.


Shopping Areas

The city of Georgetown has some designated shopping areas that are popular for specific kinds of items. Visitors will be fascinated by the colourful sights and sounds offered by these areas that are often mini cultural-centres by themselves.
Places to go include:

The area around Campbell road is Penang’s very own Chinatown – this is the place where the first Chinese migrants to Malaysia settled. The old buildings, clan houses and shop lots are very well-preserved, offering visitors a glimpse into the history of Chinese settlers in the early 1800s’. For shopping, a lot of Chinese-centric commodities go on sale, such as jade jewellery, Rolex watches, traditional clothes, herbs, medicines to more modern products than include branded electrical products and luggage bags.

Little India


Situated around Lebuh Queen and Lebuh Chulia, Little India is just right next door to its neighbour Chinatown. For an Indian cultural shopping experience, Little India will amaze you with its ‘Indian’ sights, sounds and smells. The shops and stalls that line the streets stock everything Indian – from silk garments (sarees) to stainless steel Tiffin carriers and Indian sweets to flower necklaces. The atmosphere is permeated with the din of Bollywood music emanating from record shops and people talking and walking. Just down the street is the Mahamariamman Temple, a historic place of worship for the Indians of Penang.

Jalan Pintal Tali

Antique lovers should take note – Jalan Pintai Ali or Rope Street stocks a large variety of antiques such as porcelain, chains, coins, glass, ceiling lamps and antique clocks. Prices are negotiable, so don’t give up till you’ve got the price you wanted. On a side note, no one can bring out of the country any antiques under the law without permission from the export Director General of Museums, Malaysia. However, antiques brought in and declared at customs are allowed