the troubadour

Have heard just recently that what was(is it still?) the icon building of GeorgeTown has been completely refurbished.

I was last inside Komtar in 2003 and couldn't help but notice how run down it all appeared.

Remember it in it's prime in the early eighties. Saw it for the first time shortly after it opened.
It was a magnet in those days for all and everybody who was ever so slightly cool.

Has it regained it's popularity? Or has the main centre for shopping moved on these days?
It is still the tallest building in GeorgeTown? Thought it looked rather dark around that area at night when last saw it, almost a little forbidden even.

bakedbean

We had a look in there a year ago and it looked pretty ramshackle and shabby. Went there again about a month or so ago and still looked the same. But some of Georgetown is a bit like that, isn't it. A living museum.

Not sure about main centre for shopping. So many places now. Times Square in Georgetown seems to be popular, though I've not been in there myself. Queensbay Mall is pretty huge. Gurney Plaza still going strong (I go there a fair bit). Island Plaza is going through some kind of renovation - someone told me that Robinsons would be moving in there (good news). Straits Quay at Tanjung Tokong (or should that be Tanjung Pinang now??) lots of shops, though some a bit upmarket glitzy. They're supposed to be starting building of City Mall along Jalan Tg Tokong, close to Prima Tanjung. Not sure when that will start up.

the troubadour

Obviously it has lost it's impact as one of the features of Penang. Must be hard to imagine that it was the place to be,shop or be seen during the early 80s now.
So the lavish makeover seems to have failed to restore it to it's former glory.
Guess there is far more choice now as well. Besides as I have mentioned before there does appear to me at least,far less folk living in the city as years past.
Found GeorgeTown so quiet last time there during the night.

ex reg

You used to be able to take a lift to the top floor of Komtar.

Great views from up there even if it is a bit ramshackle.

But last time we were there they wouldn't allow access to the top floor.
Dunno if that's changed.

bakedbean

We tried and couldn't get up there either. It looked like it was some kind of foodcourt up there, but all locked up.

I think there's supposed to be some plans for redevelopment of that area - around Komtar and Times Square - I read in the papers a little while back. I'll see if I can find a link later.

Kooky.

How do you find the shopping in Penang, bakedbean? Can you get everything you need?

It's admittedly some years since I went there but I remember thinking it was pretty poor, and the salespeople were aggressive in the one department store I can recall going in. Can't recall its name - big mall in Georgetown, round maybe? Possibly one you're talking about.

There was a small mall over the road from the E&O, where we were staying, that seemed to be just getting going. Slightly more upmarket, IIRC.

Hmmm just thinking about the E&O - loved the room and bathroom, thought the rest was shabby. Was pre-Tsunami so 2003 or 2004.

ex reg

Not that I know about shopping, really.

But the customer service in Singapore is crap.
Malaysia is much better imo.

HK is fablus for Customer Service. They really do work at it.

Kooky.

I found there are two extremes:

1. You're wearing a long black linen skirt. You obviously like long black linen skirts. I will follow you round the shop and try to sell you a long black linen skirt. If you don't want a long black linen skirt, I will try to sell you a long white linen skirt. I will tell you it's OK, we have big sizes out back.

2. I will stand here and text my mates/ put on my lipstick or pick my spots in the full-length mirror. If I pretend not to have seen you, you do not exist.

I learned to say to #1, thank you, I'm just looking, I will let you know if I need your help. #2, I would see as a good thing until I needed help, then I would make them work

bakedbean

Clothes shopping I'm finding a little tricky. One of my mates told me to buy in Singapore. She told me this just after I'd returned from a trip to Singapore

So far for clothes shopping, I've hit Gurney Plaza, which is okay. Some staff are okay. Some look like they'd rather be elsewhere. The "following thing" really pi$$es me off so I refuse to buy in those shops, though I'm probably cutting nose to spite my face by doing this. One shop in Gurney, cannot remember the name, I was the only customer in the shop and the guy starts following me. I turned around and challenged him and he said he wasn't following me. I went over to other side of store and he followed, so I just looked around and laughed at him and walked off.

And there's the Western size thing. I've been looking for some bog-standard daytime t-shirts. I went in Bossini yesterday in Gurney and tried on XXL womens size and too tight in the boob area and, believe me, I am not big. Just a size 14 (UK). Depressing isn't it.

Other shopping is fine. Food shopping okay, much like Singapore and Thailand. Quite a few bookshops.

Been buying a lot of stuff for our new home and have to say that quality of stuff is generally not as good as in Thailand. You really have to hunt around for decent furniture. Very glad we shipped a brand new dining table and chairs from Phuket. Wish we'd bought more stuff now but wasn't quite sure what we required here.

Kooky.

I eventually got used to been an XL or XXL, in fact I used to have fun in some shops where I knew they only stocked up to a UK12, asking them if they had my size and watching them squirm.

Going in Watsons or Guardian and having some woman come up and try to sell me slimming products was also "fun"

It might be worth you having a trip to Thailand for more furniture. I would say Indonesia but the shipping costs would be higher.

bakedbean

Bringing from Thailand is difficult unless it's something small that will fit into the car. With the MM2H visa, on the Malaysia side of Immigration, shouldn't be a problem.

When we moved all our gear through a Phuket removals company by road, they said there would definitely be no tea money required at the border, and we are supposed to be able to bring in our household goods tax-free on MM2H visa but the reality was.... tea money required at the border (Thai side I think). We never actually paid it ourselves in the end, though we had to agree to with the removals firm As we ended up in dispute with the said removals firm, they had to swallow it. Boy, was that a great move

ex reg

Well the Komtar thread should have reminded you about the tee shirt 'stalls' in Komtar.
I always buy my tee shirts there when in Penang.

And they do stuff larger than the average Malay, innit.

TopHattedCat

Pacific has become the new anchor store in Komtar & they have tried to spruce it up but frankly it is in need of major refurbishment rather than a somewhat cosmetic facelift.

Just outside of Komtar there are some new al-fresco restaurants but I have not dined at any of these venues yet (Jalan Dr Lim Chee Leong side of Komtar just before you turn right towards bus station).

Prangin Mall opposite Komtar is still a popular shopping mall & the adjacent 1st Avenue Shopping Mall is the rather nice new kid on the block attracting quite a few shoppers.

Whenever I've been into Times Square it has always been empty, however this was before Sunshine had opened so this may have changed by now.

TopHattedCat

Is anyone else of the impression that some of these shopping malls mushrooming all over Penang could become white elephants with very few customers?

I've not done any research but there does seem to be a lot of shopping malls that are/will be competing with each other.

Maybe it could be good for the consumer?

TopHattedCat

While on the subject of shopping malls; Bukit Jambul shopping mall has undergone a resurgence of late ever since Mydin became its new anchor store.

There is no major refurbishment but it has again become a very popular shopping mall for the locals with good crowds flocking there.