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Shopping | Dumaguete Info

Shopping in malls is a passion that a lot of Filipinos have. There are many malls and shopping areas in the Philippines especially in the greater Manila area. These malls in the Philippines may be crowded and noisy but all are air-conditioned, clean, and safe. For an expat, shopping in malls in the Philippines can be really interesting.

The major department stores in the Philippines are Rustans, Landmark, Shoemart or SM, and Robinsons. Expat shoppers make these departments stores the favorite shopping destinations. Of the four, Rustans is considered as the most upscale due to its expensive imported cosmetics, clothing, and such. All have grocery stores on the ground floor.

Aside from these four major department stores, there are also other malls and department stores in the Philippines that an expat can go shopping. Some that are worth mentioning are Ayala Center, San Antonio Plaza, Greenhills Virra Mall, Rockwell, Shangri-La Plaza, Festival Mall, Alabang Town Center, Fiesta Mall, and Divisoria Market. Imported foods and products, entertainment, restaurants, outlets of international retailers, and others can an expat find within these malls and department stores in the Philippines.

Going appliance shopping, an expat can go to any of these malls and department stores for brand new and quality appliances. There are many appliance outlets, like Ansons, Abenson, Sogo, Western Marketing, that sell various kinds of Western and Japanese brand appliances.

In the Philippines, there has been an increase of influx of high quality computer software and hardware recently. An expat must be cautious when it comes to software because pirating is common in the Philippines. Both hardware and software stores are available in any mall and department store in the Philippines. If an expat needs a computer technician, the yellow pages are a helpful tool.

For an expat’s office supplies needs, many office supply stores are in the Philippines like the Office 1 Superstore, Office Warehouse, National Book Store, and more. The Office Club is an online office supplies store that offers free delivery within the Metro Manila area.

The Philippines has a very wide selection of English language books not like other Southeast Asian countries. Different kinds of books for adults and children can be bought by an expat including resource materials. Books that are award-winning and best sellers are found in the Philippines. And the prices are cheaper than in the United States.

Some of the major bookstores in the Philippines are National Book Store, Power Books, Goodwill Bookstores, Miriam Webster, Filipino Reader, and Young Minds. There are also many minor bookstores in the Philippines where an expat can find English language books.

An expat will surely enjoy shopping in the malls and department stores in the Philippines. Everything that an expat needs for his stay in the Philippines is available in any of the major malls and department stores in the Philippines.