Iloilo Shopping

These days, Iloilo shopping equates to mall shopping. Iloilo has indeed become a city boasting of huge malls. You will find more than four large malls in the downtown area. Aside from this, you will find smaller malls scattered all over Iloilo. People, tourists and locals, flock to these malls, so it is not surprising why there are many malls sprouting up all over the place.

Like most malls everywhere, Iloilo shopping malls are characterized by cluttered stalls that offer various products ranging from beauty products to souvenirs. The shopping trend clearly inclines toward big shopping centers.

Atrium Shopping Center

One of the popular malls in Iloilo is the Atrium Shopping Center. It is a huge establishment that boasts of a parking garage, a large supermarket, the Day’s Hotel, a two-storey McDonalds and numerous stores and restaurants. If you need to purchase household appliances or accessories, you can visit the mall’s Home Store. This is one of the best places to find kitchen and household equipment. You can enjoy Iloilo shopping for imported products at the Atrium’s supermarket. You will find salad greens, seasonings and herbs. You will also find fresh seafood; but the price can be a bit expensive, so it is wiser to go to the local market for seafood. The Atrium is actually the favorite shopping place of expats in Iloilo.

SM City Iloilo

Iloilo shopping also offers SM City shopping. This mall is part of the chain of SM City malls scattered all over the country. Iloilo’s SM City is actually the largest and the most popular mall in the area. It is always packed especially during the weekends. This is not really surprising because the mall boasts of a wide collection of stores, shops and restaurants that practically offer everything that you could possibly need. In short, the mall has everything that you need. You will find a huge grocery store that offers a huge selection of imported items like Italian Pesto, green olives or Spanish capers.

Robinson’s

Another big mall in Iloilo is Robinson’s. Shopping in this mall has some advantages over shopping in SM City. First of all, you don’t have to go outside the city proper just to enjoy some Iloilo shopping. You can just walk from the Central Market to Robinson’s and it won’t take you longer than a few minutes. It is near banks and all other city landmarks. This mall offers a very enjoyable experience. It is less chaotic and crowded than SM and it contains the usual supply of restaurants and stores.

Central Market

If you are looking for fresh foods at cheap prices, you should definitely go to the Central Market or the Iloilo Public Market. The prices here are cheaper than those you will find in grocery stores. The products are also fresher and better. However, you may have to contend with the huge crowd and traffic.

While you’re at the Central Market, you should consider getting the best cookies in Iloilo. You will find this at Mama’s Kitchen Cookies.

Ilonggo Producers Association Trade Center

A complete Iloilo shopping tour includes shopping for local products or handicrafts. Fortunately, you can find the best local products in the Ilonggo Producers Association Trade Center or the IPA Center. You will find a wide selection of local products, for which the place is known for. This includes delicate pastries, exquisitely-made wood carvings, intricate embroideries and cloths made of abaca. This place showcases the ingenuity and artistry of the Iloilo’s locals. You can get bags, baskets, furniture, ceramics, woodcraft, fabrics, paintings and more. This is perfect place to get your souvenirs before you go home.

There are actually other malls or stores that you will find in Iloilo. You have the Gaisano City, a 2-storey mall that houses 5 cinemas. There are smaller malls as well like the Marymart Center, the SM Delgado, Jaro Town Square and the Amigo. All of these smaller malls have their own unique offerings to add to your Iloilo shopping experience.

Indeed, shopping in Iloilo is truly enjoyable. There are so many places to go and many things to buy. The best thing about this is that you will always find something to suit your budget.