Kuala Lumpur Shopping

Where to Shop and What to Buy in Kuala Lumpur

kl shopping

Kuala Lumpur offers visitors a chance to shop for amazing cultural souvenirs and products. Also check out the way locals shop in ‘Pasar Malams’ or Night Markets, shopping mall and more. Top 10 Shopping Malls in Kuala Lumpur We’ve listed out the best centres to search for trendy-yet-bargain-friendly apparel, state-of-the-art gadgets, high-end fashion and even culinary offerings to accommodate every taste, pocket and style in this software-supremo city. Just be sure to take public transport as inner-city parking can be a nightmare, especially during the weekends. Read More… Bangsar Shopping Bangsar isn’t particularly known for its shopping, but there are still a large number of shopping outlets and a few malls in the area. Of particular note is a night market that takes place here every Sunday from early evening till late night. This, coupled with the night life in the area, provides for some fantastic sight-seeing and shopping opportunities. Read More…

Where to Shop and What to Buy in Bangsar

Bangsar isn’t particularly known for its shopping, but there are still a large number of shopping outlets and a few malls in the area. Of particular note is a night market that takes place here on Sundays from early evening till late night. This, coupled with the night life in the area, provides for some fantastic sight-seeing and shopping opportunities.

Most Popular Shopping Mall in Bangsar

Bangsar Shopping Centre

High class, exclusive and expensive are just a few of the words that locals use to describe Bangsar Shopping Centre – a quiet fixture within the affluent Bangsar neighbourhood. Also known as BSC to residents, the mall features over 322,000sqft of retail space and its portfolio of stores includes international brands and high-end boutiques of local designers. High class, exclusive and expensive are just a few of the words that locals use to describe Bangsar Shopping Centre – a quiet fixture within the affluent Bangsar neighbourhood. Opened in the early ‘90s, it’s been newly-refurbished and though other malls have mushroomed along nearby Jalan Telawi (Bangsar Village I & I), it’s still a favourite with the local residents. Also known as BSC to residents, the mall features over 322,000sqft of retail space and its portfolio of stores includes international brands and high-end boutiques of local designers. A favourite haunt of fu thais (Cantonese for rich married ladies), this mall’s the retail address for the area’s well heeled.

Shops One of BSC’s defining characteristics is that it greets the country’s annual celebrations with much fanfare, thoroughly decked out with colourful and themed décor. At Chinese New Year the complex had giant red lanterns strewn all over, Deepavali, this year, was greeted with ornate peacock feathers and Hari Raya saw artsy green lamps, among other things, in its outdoor sidewalks. By far, Christmas is usually greeted with the most flourish – miniaturised Santa’s workshops, lots of giant candy canes, an entire concourse devoted to Christmas décor, a section with hampers and candy, and oodles of other décor make this one of the most ornately festooned retail emporiums in the city. Anchor tenant, Cold Storage, is one of its main hooks as it functions as a well-stocked grocer for the expatriate community and wealthy residents that live nearby. Just outside in one of the two main concourses (between Cold Storage, Dome and Chillis) is a food hall – the O Gourmet – that caters to epicurean tastes with a wide selection cheeses, cakes, an in-house butcher, organic merchandise, confectionary and more. Meanwhile, Amsterdam-based Huize Van Wely has a shop here with a tantalising and mind-boggling array of pricey, handmade chocolates and pastries flown in directly from the Netherlands. Apparel stores in the mall are a collection of instantly-recognisable marques such as the colonial era–inspired clothing label British India, Hush Puppies, Jim Thompson, Kate’s Closet, Mori Pin, maternity, mom-and-baby specialist Mothercare, Thomas Chan and more. Those looking for outlets specialising in beauty and skincare will be pleased with the assortment of choices ranging from L’Occitane, Dr. Brandt, Clarins, Kiehls, Annick Goutal and The Body Shop to GNC, Guardian Pharmacy, Nature’s Farm and more. Gudang, Janine, Kitzen, Noritake and more supply tastefully-luxurious contemporary furniture; if you’re looking for textiles then Binwani’s, on the first floor, is the place to head to. Parents will be glad to know that their kids are well catered for at BSC – there are computer learning centres, a few hobby boutiques and children’s clothing labels.

Food Classy without being pretentious, stylish but not overly ritzy, the restaurants at BSC are geared towards the upper middle class and upper class. The overall effect is that the array of smells and sights that assail you upon entry will tempt you to empty your wallet. There are restaurants that cater to all foodie palettes from Asian standards such as Chinese and Japanese fare to Western specialities and a wide array of restaurants that specialise in fusion cuisine. There’s a food court on the fourth floor – Burp! The Asian Food Gallery – an oversized venture with floor-to-ceiling windows featuring views of the Bangsar streets.

Attractions & Activities

BSC is mostly a high income, family-oriented emporium – but even on the weekends, it’s not as crowded as other retail complexes within the greater KL area. The only exception is when the sun goes down and BSC’s numerous late night joints bring in crowds of expatriates and upper-class locals. The ground floor watering holes see the most action till the wee hours of the morning – WIP Café & Restaurant is especially known for its after-hours drinks and music. Tech Info/ How to Get There Four kilometres from the Kuala Lumpur city centre, Bangsar Shopping Centre is accessible from Petaling Jaya using the Sprint or Federal Highway. The most convenient way to reach the mall is through the Bangsar LRT station – located along Jalan Bangsar – on Rapid KL’s Kelana Jaya Line. Bus services that run to Bangsar Shopping Centre include bus 621 and 634 from the Bangsar LRT station; from KL Sentral bus 309 (operated by Triton Commuter) runs to BSC along Jalan Maarof. Address: Bangsar Shopping Centre 285 Jalan Maarof, 59000 Bangsar, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 2094 7700

Bangsar Village I & II Bangsar Village offering over 110,000sqft of retail space, Bangsar Village I & II is a boutique shopping centre catering to high-income residents in the Telawi area. Opened in 2004, the complex houses over 70 specialty stores mainly made up out of international fashion labels and quirky cafés. Bangsar Village offering over 110,000sqft of retail space, Bangsar Village I & II is a boutique shopping centre catering to high-income residents in the Telawi area. Opened in 2004, the complex houses over 70 specialty stores mainly made up out of international fashion labels and quirky cafés. The twin buildings are connected via a sheltered pedestrian sky-bridge – accessible via the first floor. A family-friendly venture, this complex is a favourite haunt of the city’s young urbanites and expatriate community. Weekdays see a thin crowd, with a few mother-and-kid teams. At lunchtime, restaurants are popular but it’s the retail complex’s anchor tenant – in-house grocery store, Village Grocer – that is the main hook. Located on the ground floor of the old wing, the supermarket has a decent selection of goods as well as range of products from overseas.

Shops Stores stocking luxury and household items are spread across Bangsar Village’s two wings and cover just about every brand name imaginable, although the new wing houses the brunt of its fashion apparel selections. The old wing plays host to names such as Clark’s, Crocs and Rockport while trend-conscious teenagers will be glad to know that imported goods on sale are available at UK fashion superstore Peacocks, in London. Meanwhile, in the new section of the mall, brand recognition runs rampant. Fashionistas will find Bread & Butter, Dude & the Duchess, Dorothy Perkins, Envee, Liz Clairborne, Massimo Dutti, Mori Pin, Ms. Read, Puma, Sketchers, Ted Baker, Thomas Chan, Tribeca, Vincci, Warehouse, Zara and more here. Beauty and skincare stores are also numerous – Crabtree & Evelyn, Dr. Sebagh, L’Occitane, Laura Mercier and others can be found in both wings. Shopaholics looking for accessories to transform any outfit can stop by at Aldo, gordonMax, Habib, PassionS, thirtyfour, Thomas Sabo, Wildflower, and more; parents will be able to get toys for their kids from the corner lot the Comics Corner, Playtime Electronics and Toys “R” Us. Additionally, there are plenty of kids clothing outlets such as Bebehaus, Bluedotbaby, Pumpkin Patch and more.

Food Besides Asian staples such as Thai, Japanese and Chinese fare, there’s a wide array of restaurants specialising in Western cuisine at Bangsar Village. This may be one of the only malls in the greater Kuala Lumpur area without a large scale food court within its confines, but with such an extensive range of trendy eateries that have decidedly fine-dining inclinations, hungry retail enthusiasts won’t be disappointed. Attractions & Activities There isn’t a cinema, bowling alley, archery range, or rock climbing outfit here – instead Bangsar Village caters to grateful parents with educational entertainment shops for the young ones at Fastrackids, Gymboree Play & Music, Kizsports and more. The brilliant FitFor2 is an especially popular choice for mothers and kids as it’s not only a fitness centre for mom and kids, but a café that caters to the picky eater. In addition to stylish clothes stores, Bangsar Village also has two book shops – MPH on the first floor of the old wing and Borders on the second floor of the new wing. Those looking for manicures and pedicures should try the treatments at the bright and trendy Chic Nail Spa by Soong Ai Ling and the posh Boudoir by Soong Ai Ling. Owned by former model and TV host Soong Ai Ling, each outlet offers the same services but the atmosphere and ambiance at these two ventures greatly differs. What’s more, there’s a Thai Odyssey massage centre on the first floor of the new wing plus an oversized Celebrity Fitness outlet that occupies a good deal of the third floor. Tech Info/ How to Get to Bangsar Village Bangsar Village is located within one of greater Kuala Lumpur’s most affluent neighbourhoods; this residential suburb is also one of the city’s best nightlife hotspots and at night the area is decidedly congested. Easily accessible via the Bangsar LRT station, Rapid KL’s Kelana Jaya Line has a stopover along Jalan Bangsar. Jalan Telawi – Bangsar Village I & II’s address – is a five-minute cab ride away. Alternatively, you can hop on the RapidKL bus U87 (which also goes past Mid Valley Megamall) to get to Bangsar Baru and then walk to the retail emporium. Address: 1 & 2 Jalan Telawi Satu, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 2282 1808

Mid Valley Megamall The best shopping opportunity is not actually within Bangsar itself, but very near it; the Mid Valley Shopping mall is one of the largest in Southeast Asia and is arguably the Klang Valley’s most popular shopping attraction. From Bangsar, it is a mere few minutes away using a large flyover that cuts across the smaller Bangsar roads that lead to other areas. Giving the shiny 1Utama complex a run for its money, the colossal Mid Valley Megamall is indeed a mega complex, known to locals as the best shopping centre halfway between the city centre and the Klang Valley. One of the country’s largest urban development projects, the 4.5 million-sqft emporium is comprises a shopping mall, an office tower block, 30 signature offices and two hotels – the 646-rooom Cititel Midvalley and the 390-room Boulevard Hotel. The mall was awarded the Best Shopping Complex Award 2000 by Tourism Malaysia and Best Retail Development Award 2001 by FIABCI Malaysia.

Shops Opened in November 1999, Mid Valley is home to over 430 stores spread across its five floors; its five anchor tenants include Carrefour, Jusco, Golden Screen Cinemas, Metrojaya and Harvey Norman. In a separate building you’ll find the Gardens Mall, a more lavish environment that offers high-end international designer brands and brings Mid Valley into the luxury shopping emporium roster. Opened in 2007, it’s linked to Mid Valley Megamall via a bridge as well as an underground corridor; local designers are located on Level 2, at the 2201 Fashion Avenue and KN Key Ng; the Gardens is also home to a five-star hotel and luxury serviced apartments.

Attraction & Activities Mid Valley Megamall has a 48,300sqft convention centre, an 18-screen Golden Screen Cinema and a state-of-the-art bowling centre on the fifth floor. Additionally, there’s a One-Stop IT Centre for tech-savvy shoppers and a spacious MPH bookstore outlet – one of the largest in the city.

Tech Info/How to Get There Situated beside the KL Komuter Mid Valley station, its fairly easy to get to the shopping centre; alternatively, there are several RapidKL buses – U66, U84, U85, U87 and T631 – that arrive at the mall’s North Court entrance. Highlights: Zara, Mango, G2000, Topshop, California Fitness, Cinema, Sa Sa, Bonita, Elle, Voir, Seed, House of Leather, Travel Syle Opening Hours: Daily, 10:00 – 22:00 Address: Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur Tel: (603) 2938 3333 Bukit Bintang Shopping Known as the ultimate shopping area in the city, Bukit Bintang presents a wealth of options that would appease even the shrewdest shopper. Some of the city’s major shopping centres can be found here, suiting every budget and need, from premium malls to speciality outlets. No matter what you’re looking for, you are bound to be able to find it here in Bukit Bintang. Read More…

Bukit Bintang Shopping

Where to Shop and What to Buy in Bukit Bintang

Kuala Lumpur is a well-recognised international shopping destination. Known for its retail venues, ranging from glitzy shopping malls like the Starhill Gallery and Pavillion KL, to colourful street markets like Chinatown and Little India, KL is an especially good place to purchase reasonably-priced clothing and electronic equipment. Some of the city’s major shopping centres can be found along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Known as KL’s ultimate shopping zone, Bukit Bintang presents a wealth of options that would appease even the shrewdest shopper. No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll find most of what you need at these shopping malls, suiting every budget and need, from premium stores to speciality outlets.

Most Popular Shopping Malls in Bukit Bintang

Berjaya Times Square

Comprising 10 floors and more than 700 retail outlets, Berjaya Times Square is a one-stop leisure destination for all ages. Linked to a five-star hotel of the same brand name, it also comes with several food courts, an indoor theme park with an IMAX theatre, a cinema, a spa centre, a games arcade, a karaoke lounge, a supermarket, a post office, a bank, an IT mall and hundreds of retail outlets offering everything from food to fashion. Kuala Lumpur is an international shopping haven with a plethora of retail therapy options. Though there are a few small-time boutiques scattered around the city centre, the country’s hot and humid weather tends to draw crowds into the cool interior of expansive air-conditioned shopping malls. Located within the Bukit Bintang area itself there are more than eight large shopping centres ranging from the ultra posh and exclusive Starhill Gallery and the newly-erected trendy Fahrenheit 88 to the downmarket Sungei Wang Plaza and gadget haven Low Yat Plaza.

Structure

Berjaya Times Square – one of the biggest shopping centres within Bukit Bintang – is one of the city centre’s most easily located structures. Located along Jalan Imbi, the 48-storey twin-tower complex first opened its doors in 2003 and each 203m tower offers a host of retail stores, dining venues and entertainment outlets.

Adjacent to the four-star Berjaya Times Square Hotel – a high-rise four-star venture set at the top of the mall with 650 rooms, a pool, gym, sauna room, rooftop garden and squash courts – the 700,000sqm Berjaya Times Square is an all-in-one complex that dominates the city centre’s mallscape.

History

Before World War II, the land which the mall sits on originally belonged to a wealthy philanthropist, millionaire Cheong Yoke Choy, whose massive bungalow occupied a huge section of the Jalan Imbi stretch. In 1995, Tan Sri Vincent Tan of the Berjaya Group purchased the prime piece of real estate for the development of the twin tower complex. An interesting titbit about the retail podium is that the mall acted as host when teams were required to abseil from the eighth floor for the first task of Amazing Race Asia 1.

Layout

Set opposite the Amoda office block, the mall is a sprawling all-in-one complex that spans the lengthy Jalan Imbi Boulevard. Currently the fifth largest building in the world, Berjaya Times Square has over 1,000 retail stores and 65 food outlets. The lower ground floor houses a food court – Taste of Asia – where there’s a smorgasbord of culinary options ranging from local cuisine to international fare such as Japanese and Korean specialties. There’s a variety of good restaurants that offer tasty and inexpensive fare throughout the complex including the Dynasty Dragon Seafood Restaurant, a

branch of the popular Hong Kong Kim Gary Restaurant, Old Town White Coffee, Sushi King and more.

The shopping podium doesn’t play host to designer fashion marques such as CK by Calvin Klein, Coach, Juicy Couture or Marc by Marc Jacobs; instead you’re more likely to come across a melange of affordable but unknown retail boutiques. Small time apparel boutiques such as 29 Fashion, Gimme More Boutique, Anna’s, Giordano, Body Glove, Sixty Fashion and more are dotted throughout the mall.

The rest of the shopping centre houses a variety of mid-range stores that range from toy stores like Anime Tech, Citrine Toys, Kyosho and Grafitti Toys to specialty adult stores such as I Need House and Naughty Zone. Additionally, there’s a variety of major tech and IT stores such as Acer, Apple, Canon, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, HTC, Lenovo, Samsung and more, for those looking to purchase the latest gadgets and gizmos.

State-of-the-art Entertainment

The mall’s portfolio of entertainment offerings is extensive – the tenth floor of the retail podium plays host to a nine-screen Golden Screen Cinema. The theatre is the first ever GSC MAXX (formerly IMAX) 2D & 3D theatre. The mall houses Malaysia’s largest indoor theme park, the Berjaya Times Square Theme Park. Formerly known as Cosmo’s World Theme Park, the 133,000sqft park (Asia’s largest indoor park) has 14 specially-designed rides including a thrilling roller coaster.

Divided into themed zones, the park’s amusement rides can easily be seen throughout the mall – the fifth floor plays host to Galaxy Station, a section where six action-packed rides (Supersonic Odyssey, DNA Mixer, Dizzy Izzy, Ooort’s Express, Spinning Orbit and Space Attack) are located. On the other hand Fantasy Garden, on the seventh floor, is a colourful ‘garden’ with eight milder, fun rides – Fantasy Trail, Botanic Drive, Buddy-Go-Round, Flying Bumble Bee, Crazy Bus, Molly-Cool’s Swing, Honey Bump and Robo Crash – which are perfect for young kids.

Meanwhile, the mall’s range of entertainment offerings doesn’t end there – there’s also a 48-lane bowling alley, Ampang Superbowl.

Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 12:00 to 22:00, Sat/Sun/Public Holiday/School Holiday – 11:00 – 22:00
Location: Level 5 & 7, Berjaya Times Square
Address: Berjaya Times Square Theme Park, Level 5 & 7, Berjaya Times Square, No.1, Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: (603) 2117 3118

Tips & good to know info about Berjaya Times Square

The biggest building in Kuala Lumpur, Berjaya Times Square is currently the eighth tallest twin buildings in KL and the fifth largest building in the world by floor area (7.5 million sqft). A major city landmark, the mall sees a fair amount of KL’s tourist traffic each month; Borders Bookstore – the largest Borders store in the world – opened its doors here in 2005. The Kuala Lumpur Imbi Monorail station is linked to the mall via a footbridge.

Highlights: Krispy Kreme, Papa John’s Pizza, Cosmo World Theme Park & Theatre, Borders, Ampang Superbowl, Jojoba International, Digital Centre, SUBWAY Sandwiches, Anime Tech, Amusement Square.
Opening Hours: Daily, 10:00 – 22:00
Location: Opposite Melia Hotel and Amoda building. You can exit straight into the shopping mall from Imbi Monorail Station.
Address: 1 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (603) 2117 3111

Fahrenheit 88 Shopping Mall

One of the newest additions to Kuala Lumpur’s ‘mallscape’, Fahrenheit 88 is a five-storey structure that lays claim to prime real estate along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Previously known as the KL Plaza, the mall was given a RM100 million revamp since its change of ownership and its extensive refurbishment has resulted in an uber posh retail mall that plays host to a wide variety of sophisticated small-time boutiques.

One of the newest additions to Kuala Lumpur’s ‘mallscape’, Fahrenheit 88 is a five-storey structure that lays claim to prime real estate along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Previously known as the KL Plaza, the mall was given a RM100 million revamp since its change of ownership and its extensive refurbishment has resulted in an uber posh retail mall that plays host to a wide variety of sophisticated small-time boutiques.