Shopping in the Philippines
Photo: Glen from United States, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Shopping is part of a Filipino's life, even things they don't need but are on sale and discount they'll buy it. The reason why the country wasn't affected much by financial crisis of the early 21st century is because of the circulation of money. Even if Filipinos are broke they'll find a way to buy something at least in a week for themselves.
UnderstandLiving in the Philippines is cheap and shopping in the country is also cheap compared to Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.
HoursOpening times are limited, but shopping is available 7 days a week. Most retailers close only 3 days every year, during Christmas, New Year's Day and Good Friday, though there are exceptions.
PricingOn major malls (except on organized bazaars), department stores, supermarkets, and brand-name stores, the tag price normally includes value-added tax (VAT) and any applicable sales taxes.
What to buyCDs containing music and Blu-ray DVDs containing either local or Western films are available in reputable chain stores inside malls, but the very cheap option are most likely outright pirated copies.
Places to shopThe air-conditioned shopping malls form the largest share on the Filipino retail sector, and it isn't hard to find shopping malls in the Philippines, from large to small and modern to traditional.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Shopping in the Philippines" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Glen from United States, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons