10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Penang

Gurney Paragon Mall is home to an eclectic mix of fashion trends. The seafront 9-storey complex has around 40 high fashion stores concentrated on the 1st and 2nd levels. The best of its 30 restaurants can be found primarily at its al fresco frontage. 

What makes Gurney Paragon Mall unique is the fact that the entire place has been built around St. Joseph’s Novitiate, a 1925 chapel that has been beautifully restored and incorporated into the mall’s open-plan layout design. 

1st Avenue Mall holds a variety of well-known brands such as H&M, Victoria’s Secret, Cotton On, Motorcoach and Sketchers. It’s great not just for its stores, but also because it offers quite a bit in the way of onsite entertainment. 

There is an 8-screen movie theater, a bowling alley, karaoke center, snooker bar, and an interactive game room.  The 7-floor complex is just across the road from Penang Times Square, Komtar, and Prangin Mall on Jalan Magazine. 

The waterfront Gurney Plaza is one of the most popular shopping malls in Penang. It has over 380 stores under its roof, including anchor tenants Parkson Grand, the 12-screen Golden Screen Movie theaters and Cold Storage grocery store. 

Spread across 80,000 square meters, brands found at the 9-storey mall include Motorcoach, Fossil, Versace, Nichii and Dorothy Perkins. You’ll also find over 60 cafes restaurants inside the mall. 

Queensbay Mall is a 230,000-square-metre shopping mall near the Penang International Airport. Known as the island's largest complex, it has 10 anchor tenants, including AEON and Harvey Norman. 

You can find more than 500 stores, with brands represented at the 5-storey mall comprising Lacoste, Victoria Secret, Pandora, and Adidas. Entertainment-wise, the 3rd floor of Queensbay Mall features an 8-screen movie theater, games arcade, and escape room. 

Straits Quay Marina Mall is a lifestyle complex along Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang, fronting a marina of the same name. This open-air shopping mall has several great local boutiques, but it's most popular for its restaurants and bars.

Standouts include Blue Reef Fish & Chips, Healy Mac’s Irish Bar & Restaurant, Nomiya American Izakaya, and Subway. Straits Quay Marina Mall also hosts the Penang Performing Arts Center, Thai Odyssey Spa, and several beauty parlors. 

Komtar is an icon in Penang, frequently serving as an easily identifiable landmark for travelers exploring Georgetown. Housed under its roof are a collection of atmospheric local boutiques for bargain-hunting fashionistas, as well as lots of electronics stores selling smartphones, computers, tablets. 

The 65-storey tower sits on the junction between Jalan Penang and Jalan Magazine. Komtar is also notable for its viewing deck on the 58th floor, where you can enjoy great views of the island.  

Prangin Mall is great for shoppers looking for bargains in Penang, be it fashion or inexpensive electronic goods. The 6-storey retail centre’s anchor tenant is Parkson Grand, plus around 600 brands from all over the world. 

Island Plaza is the closest shopping mall to Batu Ferringhi in Penang. Department store, Metrojaya, and grocery store, Cold Storage, act as its anchor tenants. Housed under its roof is a mix of local boutiques and international brands such as Quiksilver, CK Jeans, MNG, Nike, and Body Glove. 

Island Plaza is a great place for non-shoppers, thanks to onsite facilities like a movie theater and a fitness center. 

Penang Plaza is one of the oldest shopping malls on the island. It has a suburban mall neighbourhood feel, attracting local residents with prominent brands like Giant Grocery store and Guardian Pharmacy. 

The 3-storey shopping complex also comprises over 50 retail outlets offering a wide range of goods, beauty sedans, a reflexology center, and various restaurants.

Penang Times Square has a central location along Jalan Dato Keramat, about 1 km away from Komtar. Spread across 3 floors are clothing boutiques, nail parlors, tech stores, a museum and beauty salons, plus a few restaurants. Most locals know Penang Times Square as the home of Soju, one of the island’s most popular nightclubs.