SHOPPING COMPLEX

Shopping Malls in Penang

Penang Shopping Destinations list the major department stores, shopping malls and hypermarkets in Penang. As the biggest shopping destination in northern Malaysia, Penang has many huge department stores, shopping malls and hypermarkets both on the island as well as on the mainland. Among the biggest include Pinang Megamal, Sunway Carnival Mall, Queensbay Mall, Penang Plaza, Island Plaza and Prangin Mall. Older shopping malls include One-Stop Midlands, BJ Kompleks and Komtar.

Penang also has a few hypermarkets including Tesco, Tesco Extra, Carrefour, Giant and Sunshine Farlim. Among the department stores in Penang include Jusco, Parkson Grand, Metrojaya, Sunshine and GAMA.

   

1st Avenue Mall Penang

1st Avenue Mall Penang is a multi-level shopping mall in the heart of George Town, Penang. It opened to business on 25 November, 2010. The mall is bounded by Magazine Road, Carnarvon Street, Tek Soon Street and Cross Street. It is next to Prangin Mall and ICT Mall at Komtar. The name "1st Avenue" is derived from Magazine Road, which is known as the first avenue or street in the Seven Streets Precinct of George Town.

Commercial space at 1st Avenue Mall is spread over seven levels, from Lower Ground to Fourth Floor, and on the Eighth Floor. The fifth to seventh floors are taken up by the car parks. The eighth floor, billed Cloud Eight, has an open viewpoint of the city of George Town.

AEON Seberang Prai City

AEON Seberang Prai City Shopping Centre is a huge shopping mall at Jalan Perda Timur off Jalan Permatang Batu, in Bandar Perda, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Penang. It opened on Friday, 22 August, 2008. The mall has six levels of which 3 are taken up by retail space while another 3 by parking space. The retail levels are on Ground Floor, 1st Floor and 2nd Floor while the car parks are at the basement, 3rd floor and roof top. In addition, there are six parking bays surrounding the shopping centre. Aeon Seberang Prai City will operate from 10:00am to 10:00pm daily. For queries, contact their management office at 04 537 8022.

Axis Complex

The Axis Complex is a shopping complex along Cantonment Road in Pulau Tikus. It was built in the late 1980's on the site of a drive-in eatery known as Sri Intan. The original anchor tenant at Axis Complex was the Dutch supermarket chain, Tops. After Tops pulled out of Penang, the Axis Complex underwent several changes to tenant until the present one, Bandar Baru Supermarket.

Bukit Jambul Complex

Bukit Jambul Complex, also known as BJ Kompleks, is a major shopping centre in Bukit Jambul,Bayan Lepas. Located at Jalan Rumbia off Jalan Tun Dr Awang, it has seven storeys of retail space including a basement level. When Bukit Jambul Complex opened in the mid 90's, it positioned itself as an upmarket mall. Among its original anchor tenants included Looking Good Department Store and Cosmart Hypermarket with other tenants being Reject Shop, Toys R Us, Popular Bookshop and MegaPavilion.

Econsave Farlim

Econsave Supermarket in Bandar Baru Air Itam is the only Econsave on Penang Island. It is located along Lebuhraya Thean Teik, a short distance from the junction with Jalan Paya Terubong. The supermarket supports the grocery needs of the community in Farlim and Paya Terubong.

e-Gate e-Gate is a commercial complex at Lebuh Tunku Kudin off the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, overlooking the sea. It is one of the buildings developed by IJM Properties in the MetroEast-Udini development area along the then Jelutong Expressway, which was built by the developer in return for the opportunity to develop the area along the expressway. e-Gate is touted as an electronic and entertainment gateway. In other words, it is a place to find high-end eateries high-tech stores. Among the outlets at e-Gate include Subway, Old Town White Coffee, a Vietnamese restaurant called Miss Saigon, an upmarket eatery called Tao, computer shop PC-Depot, as well as general store Guardian and 7-Eleven. Gama Gama is a department store in George Town, Penang. It occupies a prime real estate facing Komtar, at the junction where Dato Kramat Road meets Jalan Gurdwara (Brick Kiln Road), Macalister Road, Penang Road and Magazine Road. Officially Gama Supermarket & Departmental Store, the retail outlet comprises four storeys of commercial levels and a basement carpark. It is bordered by Dato Kramat Road, Jalan Gurdwara, Jalan Trang and Jalan Tongkah. Giant Bayan Baru Giant Hypermarket in Bayan Baru is the only Giant hypermarket in Penang. It is located along Jalan Mayang Pasir, one of the main roads in the Bayan Baru township. The hypermarket was opened in 2005. Giant Farlim Giant Superstore Farlim is a new supermarket along Lebuhraya Thean Teik in Farlim, Air Itam, Penang. It opened to business on 30 May 2012. Giant Superstore Farlim occupies two storeys of All Seasons Place, the new commercial complex in Bandar Baru Air Itam. It becomes the anchor tenant as well as the first occupant of the complex to begin operations. The rest of the shoplots at All Seasons Place are now undergoing the final touch up. Giant Superstore Farlim is located at Blok Z, All Seasons Place 6J-1-1 & 6J-1-2-1. It is open daily from 9:00 am to 10:30 pm. Gurney Plaza Gurney Plaza is a major shopping mall on Penang Island that caters to an upmarket customer base. Gurney Plaza is located along the famed Gurney Drive facing the North Channnel (which at time of writing, is undergoing massive land reclamation). Gurney Plaza is one of the properties of Singapore-based CapitaLand, one of Southeast Asia's biggest property companies. I explored Gurney Plaza and am documenting it as one of the major shopping malls of Penang. ICT Digital Mall Mall @ Komtar, or simply ICT Mall, is a new retail development in Komtar, Penang. Opened in November 2010, it occupies the space originally occupied by Yaohan Department Store and later by Aktif Lifestyle Store. The new mall is geared towards offering shoppers an array of electrical and electronic products including computer hardware and software, telecommunication products such as cellular phones, as well as cameras and photography gears. Island Plaza sland Plaza is an upmarket shopping mall in Tanjong Tokong. It comprises a podium block and an office block. The anchor tenant for the mall is Metrojaya, which operates the department store. At the Lower Basement level is a supermarket by Cold Storage (Malaysia). Fitness First opened its first Penang outlet on the fourth floor. Among the food and beverage outlets at Island Plaza includes KFC, Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Dome Café. To cater to the more affluent market of Tanjong Tokong, Island Plaza also has a selection of boutiques, brand stores and specialty stores such as CK Jeans, Quiksilver, Nike, MNG, Body Glove, Bossini, among others. Juru Auto-City Juru Auto-City, as its name suggests, is a place with a congregation of automobile showrooms. But it's much more than that. Located in Juru, off the Juru Interchange (Exit 160 on the North South Expressway), Juru Auto-City is the place to hang-out and socialise for (young) people on mainland Penang, on par with Gurney Drive and Queensbay Mall on Penang Island. Komtar Komtar is a multipurpose complex consisting of retail outlets, transportation hub and administrative offices for the Penang state government. An acronym for Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak, Komtar was named after Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the second prime minister of Malaysia, who officiated in the piling of Phase 1 on 1 January 1974. It bears the same name as Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak in Johor Bahru, built about the same time but on a smaller scale. Midlands One Stop Midlands One Stop is a shopping centre in Pulau Tikus, Penang. When it opened for business in the mid 1990's, it was one of the more upmarket malls in Penang. Its initial anchor tenant was Looking Good Departmental Store and Supermarket. In addition, other major tenants included Popular Bookshop, Watson, KFC, McDonald's, Kenny Roger's and Dave's Deli. Pacific Komtar Pacific Hypermarket & Department Store opens to business in Komtar on 17 December 2008. Known simply as Pacific Komtar, occupies the premises that was left vacant when Super Komtar succumbed to internal problems. Pasar Raya Bandar Baru Pasar Raya Bandar Baru is a neighbourhood supermarket in Farlim, Air Itam. It was one of the oldest retail outlets in Farlim. It established itself at Lintang Angsana, the main commercial belt in the area, when the neighbourhood was developed. Pasar Raya Bandar Baru is renowned for selling inexpensive household items. It still draws customers even though it now faces competition from newer and bigger hypermarkets and supermarkets in the area. Pan Palace Plaza Pan Palace Plaza is a community mall located in Lip Sin Gardens, Sungai Dua. It is a 10-storey building with basement parking. The anchor tenant at Pan Palace Plaza is the Sunshine Lip Sin Supermarket, a 24-hour supermarket that opened for business in August 2008. It provides a place for housewives to do their marketing in relative comfort - it is air conditioned, but is finished with cement flooring. The supermarket is also a short distance from the Lip Sin market and Super Tanker Hawker Centre. Penang Plaza Penang Plaza, at 126 Burmah Road, is one of the earliest shopping malls to be built in Penang. Penang Plaza comprises a three-storey podium topped by another seven-storey of office block. It occupies an area of close to 60,000 sq meters along Burmah Road. The mall has a total lettable area of 91,000 square feet and 88 parking bays. It belongs on the same plot of land as the adjacent Hotel Royal. Both were acquired by the Singapore-based Hotel Royal in July 2008.  The present anchor tenant of Penang Plaza is Giant Supermarket. The original anchor tenant of the plaza was FIMA supermarket, which operated under different names including Cold Storage. Penang Plaza underwent a total makeover in 2009-2010. The makeover gave it a new and more sophisticated façade. The interior finishing was also redone. Penang Times Square Penang Times Square is a massive urban redevelopment project in George Town, Penang. It is being developed on the site previously occupied by Eastern Smelting, also known as Dato Keramat Smelting and Estoy Smelting Company. Penang Times Square, developed by Ivory Properties Group, comprises commercial as well as residential development, planned to be undertaken under four phases. Phase 1 is the development called Birch the Plaza. Piccadilly Bazaar Piccadilly Bazaar is a venue for buying inexpensive items in George Town, Penang. Fronting Kuala Kangsar Road, it is continuous to thePenang Bazaar, which faces Penang Road. It was named after Piccadilly, a major shopping street in London. Prangin Mall Prangin Mall is a shopping centre in George Town, Penang. Named after Prangin Road, also known as Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong, Prangin Mall opened for business in the 2001. It caters to a market ranging from lower to middle class. The mall comprises six levels including a basement floor, two levels of basement parking and a further three levels of parking at the upper floors. Queensbay Mall Queensbay Mall in Bayan Lepas is the largest and longest shopping mall on Penang Island. It opened to the public on 1 December 2006. Queensbay Mall has a gross built up area of 2.5 million sq ft, and a total net lettable area of 1 million sq ft. The 9-storey mall has 5 storeys of shopping space for 500 outlets, and 8 storeys of parking space. I explored Queensbay Mall and am documenting it as one of the major shopping malls of Asia, for my websites AsiaExplorers and Penang Travel Tips. Sunshine Farlim Sunshine Farlim Shopping Mall is a new two-storey shopping mall in Bandar Baru Ayer Itam, also known as Farlim. It was opened at 4.18 pm on 10 January 2009 (a time regarded as auspicious), and replaces Sunshine Farlim Hypermarket, which opened just a stone's throw away on 11 November 1999. With the opening of Sunshine Farlim Shopping Mall, Sunshine Farlim Hypermarket ceased operations. Sunshine maintains its position as the biggest retail operator in Ayer Itam. Sunshine Square Sunshine Square is a five-storey shopping mall in Bayan Baru. It houses Sunshine Department Store and Supermarket. Sunshine Square, an initiative of the Penang Development Corporation, was completed in 1993. To keep up with the times, Sunshine embarks on an upgrading exercise once every couple of years. In 2005, it unveils a new brand logo and corporate image following the refurbishment of the department stores and the expansion of its supermarket into the new wing previously occupied by a food court. Sunway Carnival Mall Sunway Carnival Mall is a four-storey shopping mall in Seberang Jaya, on the mainland side of Penang. It was built at a cost of RM156 million and has a gross built up area of 800,000 sq ft, making it one of the biggest malls in Penang. Sunway Carnival Mall was open in September 2007. Its anchor tenants include Parkson Grand Department Store and Giant Hypermarket. Parkson Grand occupies the Upper Ground Floor and 1st Floor while Giant Hypermarket occupies the Lower Ground Floor. Other major tenants include Popular Bookshop, Nike, The Body Shop, and F.O.S. Food outlets include KFC, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, The Manhattan Fish Market, Sakae Sushi, Kenny Roger's Roasters, Nando's, 600cc, among others. Sunway Carnival Mall provides an alternative shopping destination to existing venues such as Pacific Megamall, Carrefour and Tesco Extra. It faces competition from AEON Seberang Perai City which opened in August 2008. Tesco Extra Seberang Jaya Tesco Extra Seberang Jaya or simply the Seberang Jaya Tesco, is a hypermarket in Taman Sembilang, Seberang Jaya. Like the other Tesco Extras in Malaysia, it was originally one of the eight Makro Cash & Carry hypermarkets. The Seberang Jaya Tesco Extra is the last of the eight Makros to be converted. It was opened to the public on 25 September 2008 following a RM100 million upgrading by Tesco. A new 700-meter slip road was also built to connect the North-South Expressway to Persiaran Sembilang, allowing the people in Seberang Jaya easier access to the hypermarket which is located deep in Taman Sembilang. The slip road was opened by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in the presence of Tesco Malaysia chief operating officer David Hobbs on 12 January 2009. Tesco Extra Sungai Duaesco Extra Sungai Dua is a hypermarket in Taman Pekaka, Sungai Dua, Penang. It was originally built for Makro Cash & Carry, whose Malaysian operations were acquired by Tesco in December 2006, following which, all Makro outlets in Malaysia were changed to Tesco Extra. This came about after the parent company of Makro, the Dutch company SHV Holdings NV decided to exit the hypermarket business in Malaysia. Tesco Penang Tesco Penang, at 1 Lebuh Tunku Kudin 1, 11700 Gelugor, is the first Tesco hypermarket to open on Penang Island. It opened on November 2004, and is located on a piece of freehold land in the MetroEast-Udini development area along the Jelutong Expressway, near the Tunku Kudin Interchange. The building has 275,000 sq ft of lettable area and 1050 car parking bays.

Tesco Tanjung Tokong

Tesco Tanjung Pinang is a new hypermarket in Tanjong Tokong, on the northeastern part of Penang Island. Described with a working name of Tesco Tanjong Tokong, the new hypermarket is located at the junction of Jalan Tanjong Tokong and Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang. It is built on reclaimed land that is now a new development called Seri Tanjung Pinang.

The Summit Bukit Mertajam Plaza

The Summit Bukit Mertajam Plaza is a shopping mall at the heart of Bukit Mertajam in Seberang Perai. It comprises a four-storey shopping podium with over 140,270 sq ft of retail space, and a high rise block occupied by Summit Hotel Bukit Mertajam. Summit Hotel Bukit Mertajam is the best hotel in town. The four-star hotel towers over Bukit Mertajam as one of its most recognisable landmarks.