With such a wide range of shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur, it is not surprising that this country takes retail therapy seriously. More than eight large shopping centers are located in the heart of the city, while the large Klang Valley region, just 20 minutes away, is home to around 12 additional shopping centers. Our list of the best shopping centers in Kuala Lumpur contains complexes that house big box retailers, street brands, independent labels, local shops and some even host weekly street markets on site. Each mall has a collection of different stores, which creates a different atmosphere in each location, making it a very diverse KL shopping experience.
Buyers will find that Kuala Lumpur’s most popular malls are kept up to date with the most glamorous names in the fashion industry right now, from mid-range brands like H&M, Topshop and Forever 21, to tastes Coach, Jimmy Choo and the agent provocateur. Another good news is that shoppers can combine shopping with great on-site attractions, such as bowling, archery, laser tag and, in the case of Berjaya Times Square, even a covered theme park!
1. Pavillion Kuala Lumpur Shopping Mall, Kuala Lumpur
The Pavilion Kuala Lumpur is KL’s haute couture shopping mecca. It takes a lot to stand out in the city’s cityscape, but this shopping center, which occupies prime real estate along Jalan Bukit Bintang, does just that. Opened in 2007, it has three main sections: a shopping center, an office building and two residential towers.
Keeping city fashionistas polite, this KL staple is a perfect example of the extravagance of some malls. It has almost the same staggering floor space as Mid Valley Megamall and 1 Utama, and the 1.37 million square foot white marble complex is a combination of indoor and outdoor commercial stores.
2. Suria KLCC
Suria KLCC is an imposing six-story building at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Founded in 1999, it quickly caught on because it brought a new level of style to the city with its wide choice of haute couture boutiques.
Compared to Manhattan’s Barney’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, the mall is popular not only for its location right on the money and high-end stores, but also because it has tourist attractions such as Aquaria KLCC and Petrosains, an oceanarium and a scientific discovery center respectively, intended for children. In addition to this, the mall houses the Dewan Filharmonik Orkestra (Malaysia’s first concert hall) and the Petronas Art Gallery
3. Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur
Living in the brilliant 1Utama complex for its money, the colossal Mid Valley Megamall is indeed a mega complex, known to locals as the best shopping center halfway between downtown and the Klang Valley. One of the largest urban development projects in the country, the 4.5 million square foot emporium includes a shopping center, an office tower, 30 signature offices and 3 hotels in Mid Valley – the Cititel Mid Valley Hotel 646 rooms; the 390 rooms The Boulevard – St. Giles Premier Hotel and the 647 rooms The Gardens Hotel and Residences. The mall received the Best Shopping Complex 2000 award from Tourism Malaysia and the Best Retail Development Award 2001 from FIABCI Malaysia.
4. The Garden, Kuala Lumpur
The Gardens Mall Kuala Lumpur is an upscale shopping complex that covers all of your business bases. Under its roof, you will find around 200 stores, spread over its six floors, housing the best fashion designers, clothing brands and department stores in the world, making it easy for you to get everything you need. Located in The Gardens Hotel and Residences. Specializing in celebrity fashion finds, the six-story The Gardens Mall deserves to be considered a “destination mall” because of what it has to offer serious buyers, not only on place, but in its surroundings. Next door is Mid Valley Megamall, one of the city’s largest commercial developments where you can find both a wide range of profitable brands.
Located approximately seven kilometers from the PETRONAS Twin Towers, on the outskirts of downtown Kuala Lumpur, in terms of size, it covers 9.7 acres and, in addition to the shopping center, the mixed development complex includes four towers – one houses a five-star hotel, two are residential blocks and the fourth is office space.
5. Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Starhill Gallery is one of those chic shopping malls where you’re almost afraid to touch things. Ambient lighting, soft jazz music in the background, and carpets covered with rugs that mask any noise your feet can make make it a red carpet retail experience like no other.
The muffled atmosphere is exacerbated by smiling and elegantly dressed doormen waiting to take you into the shops: coupled with the silent atmosphere, their omnipresent presence makes you feel like you have to speak in a low voice. You may wonder, since Starhill Gallery offers the same high fashion stores under one roof, like Pavilion KL, what makes it so different? Well, the answer is simple – Starhill Gallery is an experience, and decadent at that.
6. Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is an international trading paradise with a plethora of retail therapy options. Although there are a few small shops scattered around the city center, the hot, humid weather in the country tends to draw crowds into the cool interiors of large, air-conditioned malls. Located in the Bukit Bintang area itself, there are more than eight large shopping malls ranging from the ultra chic and exclusive Starhill gallery and the newly fashionable Fahrenheit 88 to the upscale Sungei Wang Plaza and paradise. Low Yat Plaza gadgets.
Berjaya Times Square – one of the largest shopping centers in Bukit Bintang – is one of the most easily accessible structures in the city center. Located along Jalan Imbi, the 48-story two-tower complex opened for the first time in 2003, and each 203-meter tower offers a multitude of retail stores, restaurants and entertainment options.
Adjacent to the four-star Berjaya Times Square Hotel – a high-rise four-star business located at the top of the mall with 650 rooms, a pool, a gym, a sauna, a rooftop garden, and squash courts – the Berjaya 700,000 m2 Times Square is an all-in-one complex that dominates the downtown landscape.
7. Sunway Pyramid, Kuala Lumpur
Sunway Pyramid is an impressive themed shopping center in the Klang Valley. Located in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, it is the only mall in Malaysia with an ice rink. Opened in 1997, the emblem of retail is one of the largest shopping centers in the country.
Whether you think it’s sticky or sophisticated, it’s one of Malaysia’s most sophisticated shopping malls, with a giant Egyptian-inspired sphinx standing guard at the entrance, a monumental main pyramid-shaped complex , pseudo-hieroglyphs decorating its exterior facade and many false pharaoh statues. Full of character, the mall’s main tenants are Giant, Jusco Supermarket and Parkson Grand, but its real appeal is its range of independent stores.
8. One Utama Shopping Mall, Kuala Lumpur
One Utama is one of the most popular shopping centers in Klang Valley. A large shopping center in Bandar Utama (a small suburb right next to Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong), it is about 30 minutes from downtown KL and has over 650 stores and a variety of restaurants and entertainment options.
Spread over five million square feet, it is locally known as 1U and is divided into two wings: the old and the new wing. Recently, the old wing has undergone a complete overhaul which has seen the addition of new stores, a shiny and elegant facade and there is even an entertainment area on the third floor (similar to that of the new wing) in preparation.
9. Sungei Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur
Founded in 1977, the seven-story Sungei Wang Plaza is one of the most recognizable shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur. Locals consider it one of the cheapest places for retail therapy while foreigners say it’s a convenient stop in the city’s golden triangle quadrant.
Connecting the mall to the main boulevard, Fiesta Street is a new sidewalk with a selection of restaurants serving Italian, American, Chinese, South African and Asian dishes. In typical shopping center fashion, fast food outlets are in abundance in the complex – there is an oversized KFC and MacDonald’s plus a Delifrance occupying a street corner. In addition to that, Famous Amos has a kiosk on the first floor for those looking for sweet treats.
10. Low Yat Plaza Shopping Mall, Kuala Lumpur
The Low Yat Plaza – commonly known as LYP or Low Yat – is a well-established commercial mall in the bustling city center of Kuala Lumpur. Specializing in electronic and computer products, it is located right across from the popular Berjaya Times Square shopping center. Ranking among the best known places in the city for gadgets and gadgets, the 12-story mall is divided into a series of interconnected stores surrounding a main hall.
There are various restaurants dotted around the gadget-savvy complex – the basement level hosts a branch of the popular Red Box karaoke bar. Meanwhile, the lower floors house a food court – which serves a variety of local specialties, Korean and Japanese dishes – and shops related to audio and video; there is also a branch of the popular old town kopitiam on this level.
