Colombo Shopping – Shops, Stores, Best Buys & Insider Tips

Colombo Shopping

Colombo is the largest city in Sri Lanka, making it a busy commercial location in Southeast Asia. As a result, you can find a wide variety of shopping options when traveling to Colombo.

Colombo’s Top Shops & Stores

Two of the most popular grocery/supermarket stores that you should visit are Laugfs Sunup Supermarket and Cargills Food City.

Laugfs provides groceries, fruits and vegetables, and most household items. The prices are fixed, so you cannot barter. Laugfs also offers gas at their own fueling stations to fill up your vehicle if you rent a car. Cargills is also a good place for all your grocery and household needs. The prices are also fixed.

If you want to shop for clothes, Fashion Bug is a popular store. You can find clothes for everyone in your family, including children and toddlers. They also have a great selection of shoes, hand bags, shals, and sarees.

For upscale shopping, you should visit Odel, which is an upscale store in Colombo. It offers products for ladies, men, and toddlers, plus accessories and handbags.

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Colombo’s Best Buys

We recommend visiting Odel because you can find great values. Odel sells a lot of overruns that were made for European stores and are resold under their own label. They also have a good range of Sri Lankan clothing to shop for gifts. You can find some great deals at Odels that will cost much less than at first-run European stores.

Another good place to shop is the Majestic City shopping mall. You can find great deals on lower-priced goods throughout the mall. This includes clothing, food, electronics, beauty products, toys, and other products. The shopping mall also features a 3D movie theater and food court to visit while shopping.

Inside Tips on Shopping in Colombo

The established stores do not let you barter; you pay what the label says. But, you can find stores along busy streets that will bargain with you. This is the best way to get a lot of products for not as much money. The key, though, is not to act like a tourist. Otherwise, you’ll get taken advantage of. You need to convey that you mean business and you’re shopping for a good deal, not looking to get ripped off. So, be aware of how you present yourself when you approach a smaller shop looking for things like souvenirs or if a shopkeeper approaches you.

Editor’s Note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about shopping tips in Colombo.