Shopping at 168 mall

Posted on 10 Jan 2009 - by Katkat In: activities, self-help tips

With the bad economy recession right now, I just thank God for malls like 168. 168 is a big shopping building at the heart of Divisoria, Manila. It houses series of stalls peddling stuffs from clothes, accessories to household items at really low price. Most of the stall owners are Chinese and their ware hails from China. I consider myself a veteran shopper of this mall. Every time I go shopping at other places, I will always think that I can find similar items at cheaper price at 168.

Last week I decided to go to 168 to buy some stuffs for my Hong Kong trip. This is the first time I visited this mall after more than a year. I was supposed to visit last year but I thought better of it since November and December are hectic months for that shopping center meaning it is literally congested with shoppers – heavy traffic, inflated prices, mob of shoppers. It will turn you off from shopping forever!

I was happy with my recent trip there. Since the holiday fever is over, people are less inclined to go shopping which means a smooth commute to the mall, very reasonably priced items and easy movement inside the mall. I was shopping for clothes and some items and I was happy that I accomplished my purpose. Right now the trend in clothes there are: plaid blouses/boyfriend shirt (P250-300), checkered dresses (P300-350), leggings and tights (P150-180), simple party dresses (P320-400). Of course there are still bags, shoes, pirated DVDs, housewares, undergarments, electronics, etc.

If you plan on visiting and shopping at 168 mall, here are some tips:

Try going around each stalls, canvass the price of the item you want to buy.
Do not settle for 1 price – always ask for the last price. If you’re buying a lot (more than 3 or 6) ask for the wholesale price.
If you’re Chinese and know the language, converse with the store owner in their lingo. They will surely give you the lowest price without you asking.
Pay only with cash. Credit cards and checks are foreign here.
Do not bring jewelry. Avoid using cellphones. Keep your bag and shopped items close to your body at all times. There are lots of opportunistic pickpocket-ers here.
Be sure of what you’re buying because there’s no return and refund. You could exchange item but be sure it’s done within few days because they may claim you didn’t buy it there.
Ask for receipt with their stall numbers and seller name so that you can exchange it later. It will also help with taxing the store owner.
There are no dressing rooms in each stall – only a long cloth that they cover around you while you’re dressing. So be sure to wear light/ thin shirt so that you can just try on the dress over your clothes without risk of exposing yourself.
Try avoiding the months of May, June, November and December as these are very busy months for the mall. Saturdays are also busy while lots of stores are closed on Sunday.
Do not expect very good quality – they’re cheap, fake and from China.

For those who hasn’t experienced shopping in this mall, I suggest you try it. It will change your perception of shopping forever. For information of how to go to 168 mall, click here.