9 Best Places to Go Shopping in Malacca

Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall is an ultramodern shopping mall that stands out in the middle of the historical city of Malacca. Surrounded by historical sites such as A Famosa and St Paul’s Hill, the 9-storey mall is filled with international retail outlets, entertainment centres, food and beverages outlets, and souvenir shops that cater to visitors with different tastes.

A variety of food and beverage outlets are also available in Dataran Pahlawan and if you’re looking for some inexpensive local and Asian cuisines, you have come to the right place. Besides the usual international fast-food franchises, coffee stations serve local cafe fare (think nasi lemak and fried mee) and several restaurants offer a full-blown dining experience.

Mahkota Parade is one of Malacca’s first shopping malls, housing almost 200 stores, including international brands, food-and-beverage outlets and entertainment centres. Opened in 1994, the 4-storey shopping mall underwent a series of refurbishments over the years to embrace a modern, sleeker look.

The shopping mall has become one of Malacca’s favourite hangout spots, with locals visiting in large numbers, especially at weekends and on public holidays for casual shopping and leisure. The iconic shopping mall also sits right in the middle of the city centre, surrounded by Malacca’s most famous landmarks, such as A Famosa, St Paul’s Hill. It’s right across from its biggest competitor, Dataran Pahlawan shopping mall.

Hatten Square Suites and Shoppes is a 4-storey shopping mall located along Jalan Merdeka in Malacca. It occupies the bottom levels of a massive mixed development complex right in the middle of Malacca City Centre. The shopping mall has several international brands, with H&M and Braun Buffel just to name a few, together with independent retail stores ranging from boutiques to hair salons.

On the ground floor of Hatten Square, you’ll find a specialised section dedicated to all things IT. Here you can find inexpensive computer accessories alongside the latest mobile phones. Nearby is a restaurant and lounge with alfresco dining areas and themed nights each day of the week.

Tan Kim Hock Product Centre in Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho is every visitor’s best bet for unique, yet inexpensive souvenirs from Malacca. Located just 5 minutes from the city centre, it is also known as the ‘red place’ by locals due to its massive scarlet building.

With over 100 local food products under its roof, locals and tourists frequent this place to shop for high-quality bites and goodies. You might feel a little overwhelmed when stepping in – rows and rows of goods line the warehouse-like property, with boxes stacked as high as the ceiling. Rare, only-in-Malacca food products such as handmade coconut candy, gula Melaka (pure coconut sugar), medicated nutmeg balm and cincalok (fermented small shrimps or krill) are just some of the products sold at the centre.

The Orangutan House is a studio gallery that was established in 1992 as an art-house gallery by Malacca-born artist Charles Cham. To most visitors, it’s the brightly painted exterior that first catches their eyes. Painted in sunshine yellow with a large orangutan mural painting on the outside, it is one of the most recognisable buildings in Malacca and a must-see for all who visit this World Heritage City.

Inside, there’s a collection of the artist’s contemporary paintings (all for sale) and even reasonably priced, funky and one-of-a-kind T-shirts that are extremely popular souvenirs. You can find several outlets of The Orangutan House throughout Malacca.

The giant San Shu Gong local produce shop is one you should not miss out on when exploring Jonker Street in Malacca. Conveniently located at the entrance of Jonker Street across the concrete bridge from the Stadhuys (beside Kedai Kopi Chung Wah), it is usually packed with visitors shopping for Nyonya pastries.

This little store is opposite Geographér Café and is a cool place to refresh during your walks. Try the sumptuous double-buttered Nyonya pineapple tarts, as they’re simply out of this world. You’ll likely come across fellow travellers who simply want to sit back and savour a taste of its famous durian cendol (traditional dessert drink).

Jonker Gallery has outlets scattered throughout Jonker Street in Malacca, offering a wide variety of inexpensive souvenirs to bring back home. Jonker Street’s charm indeed lies in its night market which plays host to a collection of stalls that sell just about everything but the kitchen sink. Yet it is almost customary to pay a visit to a one-stop souvenir shop like Jonker Gallery while in the area.

As one of the biggest retailers for locally-made handicrafts in Malacca, Jonker Gallery is frequented by most visitors for its extensive display of unique ethnic apparel, shoes, bags, trinkets, charms and other fashion accessories.

LW Nyonya Pineapple Tarts House is one of the most popular cake stores in Malacca. It was the subject of many newspaper articles, particularly when the husband and wife team – Teng and Lucy – successfully baked the largest pineapple tart in Malaysia, which has been recorded in the Malaysian Book of Records.

In the ensuing years, LW Nyonya Pineapple Tarts House has grown by leaps and bounds and they now have a series of outlets across Malacca. The pastries here are, of course, undeniably tasty and at any given time, you’ll see crowds queuing up for a new batch of freshly-baked Nyonya pineapple tarts.

Nirvana Collection specialises in handmade kebaya Nyonya attire, which reflects the unique blend of cultural influences – Chinese, Malay, Indonesian and Western. An exuberant assortment of batik, embroidery, beadwork, silks, satins and organdie, it can also be worn with long pants or a mini skirt for a modern touch. Best of all, Nirvana Collection offers an adorable collection of kebaya Nyonya for the little ones as well.

You can find the humble boutique among the many other shops along Jonker Street in Malacca and just a short stroll north from the Windmill Dutch Square Melaka and Jonker Street Night Market.