Shopping in Sri Lanka
Shopping in Sri Lanka can take many forms haggling with a handicraft-seller while sunbathing on the beach choosing fruit from the traditional village store, 'the kade' while side-stepping sacks of rice or checking out the bargain-priced latest international fashions (Sri Lanka is a major garment exporter) while enjoying the ambiance of a luxurious shopping centre in Colombo.
And there’s much inbetween. Visit a handicraft shop and familiarize yourself with traditional designs such as makara (a mythical animal, lion, swan, elephant and lotus which are most evident in brasswork (boxes, trays, lanterns, vases) and silverware (ornately carved and filigree jewellery, tea-sets) that make excellent souvenirs. In addition, ritual masks, lacquer ware, batik and handloom textiles, lace, and wood carvings are popular.
Last but certainly not least, Sri Lanka has the widest variety of precious stones among the world’s gem producing countries - blue sapphires, star sapphires, rubies, cat’s eye, garnets, moonstones, aquamarines and topazes being just a dazzling handful. What’s more, Sri Lanka naturally has a tradition in jewellery-making, so you can bring your gems to life.
Trendy wear
Odel
A name that’s now synonymous with Colombo, Odel is an integral part of the city’s shopping scene. Boasting 33,000 square feet of sheer retail bliss, Odel has steadily grown from humble beginnings to a department store worthy of international acclaim. Odel’s exterior presence follows a traditional formula; tall arched entrances, brilliant white walls and rich wooden interiors, Odel is a homage to colonial architectural establishments in the city.
Odel has a rich collection of clothes, from basic tees to exquisite designer wear, Odel is one of the few stores in Colombo that manages to appeal to both a mass and niche audience. Like any department store, apparel is just one of Odel’s product offerings. Designer time pieces, exotic sarees, an extravagant perfume collection, a cosy book store, an eclectic assortment of jewellery and a playful kids’ department truly makes Odel your go-to shopping destination. Though the very essence of Odel is shopping, you will be amazed by the number of things one can do within its richly adorned interior. From a Japanese sushi bar, to a French delicatessen, to a well stocked bar and even a foot spa.
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| Odel Sri Lanka |
Avirate
Meaning 'sensuality' in Sanskrit, Aviraté, Sri Lanka's pioneer high-street fashion label, embodies the essence of the stylish woman in its exotic range of every day and evening wear, gowns, lingerie, shoes and accessories. Having launched in June, 2010, during the IIFA Film Festival, of which it was the proud sponsor, Aviraté today is fast becoming a legend in the global fashion platform with major expansion plans in India and other Asian countries as well as the Middle East and Far East. In today's competitive global fashion market, Aviraté has managed to hold its own, with its exclusive designs being featured in prominent Indian fashion magazines such as Elle, Vogue and Femina. The immense success the brand has enjoyed is due to the high quality of the designs and reasonable pricing with mid-range as well as high-range choices.
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| Avirate |
Beverly Street
Easily one of the most celebrated stores in Colombo, Beverly Street has a massive collection of clothing for women, men and kids, they also have a large collection of home linen. The store itself is spread over two floors and is quite extensive. Products are of high quality and are generally fashion forward with a lot of attention paid to detail. Prices are reasonable and their staff members are incredibly attentive and helpful. Parking can get slightly chaotic when the store is busy.
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| Beverly Street |
Tommy Hilfiger
The Tommy Hilfiger collection at the Arcade Independence Square Mall has a wide selection of menswear, ladies wear, footwear and accessories. As the first store in Colombo to offer the prestigious international brand, the elegantly designed interior matches the global standards followed by the clothing and accessory line, that reflects the brand’s style and impeccable international image as a chic brand for a ‘preppy’ lifestyle.
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| Tommy Hilfiger |
Gift Shopping
It’s souvenirs galore here in sunny Sri Lanka. What better way to show your family and friends you care that bringing them back a little piece of paradise. Check out some of these shows for something truly unforgettable.
Chinese Gift Palace
The Chinese Gift Palace began with the arrival of a migrant family many decades ago. Like many Chinese who have established themselves as traders around the country, this family business has now moved down to the third generation of the first Chinese settlers. And so, what began as a store selling Sri Lankan wood carvings and statues has now diversified into selling items of much demand in Sri Lanka and abroad. The Chinese collection of Feng Shui products are sought after for many reasons, among which good fortune seems to be on everyone’s mind, not to forget the desire to ward-off evil. The Chinese Gift Palace still has the best selection of Sri Lankan wood carvings and statues like it did many decades ago. With the addition of handicrafts, the store is a platter of colour and fragrance. Every nook and every cabinet is brimming with objects, some with faces that wear a cherubically everlasting smile
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| Chinese Gift Palace |
Barefoot
Step into Barefoot and the words bohemian, hippie, new age and ethnic will pop into your mind. The majority of products on offer are all woven goods. Barefoot goods have a rare character to them, and can be instantly recognised. Bright, bold colours and quality hand looms make Barefoot a unique addition to Colombo’s shopping scene. As with many stores in the city, Barefoot’s interior and ambience is exquisite. with rich yellow spotlights, wooden fixtures and raw cement floorings giving barefoot a rugged yet elegant feel.
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| Barefoot |
Spa Ceylon
This branch is Spa Ceylon’s boutique store and sells a choice of their home products and doesn’t offer spa treatments. The place is lit softly and has a welcoming aroma – it’s hard to tell if it’s lemon grass or ginger or lotus. The décor is contemporary in contrast to the merchandise, which is traditionally Sri Lankan. There is a broad choice of essential oils, bathing oils, and of skin and hair care products. Spa Ceylon has a line of products manufactured with specific key ingredients like virgin coconut oil, ‘Gotukola’, Ceylon cinnamon, Organic Ceylon Tea and various other interesting options. The boutique has an expansive display of products to create an indulgent retail experience.
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| Spa Ceylon |
Where to go for handlooms and batiks
Batik and handloom weaving are two of Sri Lanka’s most important and traditional industries when it comes to the textile sector. More importantly, they represent an integral part of the country’s rich culture and have given a vivacious and vibrant identity to the Island. Batiks and handlooms are unmistakably striking and unique in their designs of bright hues. Often adorned with large prints of animals, flowers, Kandyan dancers and peraheras; Batik making is famous in the towns of Hikkaduwa, Galle, North of Negombo upto Mahawewa. Handlooms too are a regional industry that is popular in Thalagune, Kalutara, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala, Batticaloa, Kalmunai and Hambantota.
So here are a few places in Colombo for good quality batiks and handloom items as recommended by Time Out Sri Lanka. Their prices are moderate, but all of these places offer a range of collections to choose from.
Selyn
Selyn features a collection of handloom products from textiles, sarees, curtain fabrics, bed linen to soft toys and much more. The flagship store is situated at a quaint corner in Fife Road and could be easily located. It is Sri Lanka’s only fair-trade guaranteed company. They also sell a rage of interior décor items, and the prices are moderate. Selyn is recommended for good quality products and unique designs. What’s more, the service is friendly and their staff is always obliged to help you and even offer suggestions on what’s best, if you require their assistance while shopping at the store
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| Selyn |
Kandygs
Started in 1979, Kandygs is an established fabric producing and dyeing factory with multiple outlets in Sri Lanka. The store offers a range of handcrafted and handloom products including bags, curtains, bedspreads, sarongs, cushion covers, soft toys, table clothes and mats, wall hangings and fabrics. The store also has on display pottery and wooden handicrafts among other household and interior decorative items and stitched clothing. Kandygs store is a composition of various colours, patterns and shapes. The neatly set appliances among the pageant of hues, exude an artistic ambiance.
Barefoot
Step into Barefoot and the words bohemian, hippie, new age and ethnic will pop into your mind. The majority of products on offer are all woven goods. Barefoot goods have a rare character to them, and can be instantly recognised. Bright, bold colours and quality hand looms make Barefoot a unique addition to Colombo’s shopping scene. As with many stores in the city, Barefoot’s interior and ambience is exquisite. with rich yellow spotlights, wooden fixtures and raw cement floorings giving barefoot a rugged yet elegant feel.
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| Barefoot |
Lakmedura
Lakmedura is Sri Lanka’s renowned merchandiser of products that the island is most famous for. This emporium in the country’s capital has a full display of Sri Lankan artwork, batik garments and jewellery. The splendour of the local craftsmanship, which is explicit in all of the products sold there is impressive. Be it the famed Kandyan devil mask to intricate brass statues, all of them have an age long story to unfold. Lakmedura is also a trusted place to shop for genuine leather products and gemstones.
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| Lakmedura |
Laksala
This multi-storied boutique in a residential part of the commercial city, houses a wide spectrum of Sri Lankan products. Each floor is dedicated to a particular category, displaying everything from handmade jewellery, ornaments, Ceylon tea, handicrafts to locally designed and stitched clothes.
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| Laksala |
Where to shop for antiques in Colombo
There are some of us who live by the saying, ‘old is gold’, and that’s why we hold on to those quirky valuables and collectibles for as long as we can. Be it rare old ornaments, maps, paintings or furniture, door and window frames; there are people who just can’t resist but fall in love with their old charm. Lucky for them, there are many stores in Colombo and suburbs that sell antiques, and also offer a wide collection to select from. Walk into any of these shops, and we guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.
Hermitage
Cultural pieces such as beds from Indonesia, mediums of inscription carved into wood, rustic medicine cupboards, printing presses, cart tables converted from actual and ancient animal driven carts brought down from aged alleyways of India are some of the fascinating artefacts that could be found at Hermitage. Valuable art that adorns the walls and the antiques, collectibles and ornaments compete for space and attention at every turn in the labyrinth of rooms of this former house turned shop on Gower Street.
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| Hermitage |
Gandhara
Gandhara is home to eclectic crafts and artefacts and boasts of a collection exquisitely handpicked from various parts of South Asia. The three-storied building caters to a niche clientele, primarily art lovers who wish to add an individual twist to their homes and living spaces. Gandhara sells artefacts, homeware and furniture. The Gallery Red, Gandhara’s very own art gallery, was opened with the view of promoting local talent and hosts a wide range of exhibits from Sri Lankan artists. Personalised gift items, modern as well as antique available there make perfect gifts for newly weds.
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| Gandhara |
Paradise Road
Paradise Road is not only an exquisite homeware store, but over the years it has risen to the status of a tourist attraction, deservedly so. Paradise Road houses truly unique one-of-a-kind products, from rustic furniture pieces, to elegant porcelain, Paradise Road is an absolute delight to wander in and explore. The store’s interior channels a grunge Mediterranean atmosphere with dark corners, stone walls and seductive scents. The second floor has an extensive collection of linen products. Take note however that the prices here tend to be on the higher end of the spectrum
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| Paradise Road |
Schokman & Samerawickreme
Reputable Charted Auctioneers and a name synonymous with the profession in Sri Lanka, Schokman and Samerawickreme have been engaged in auctioneering for over a century. It is the first company in the South Asia Pacific region to be awarded the ISO 9001:2008 certification for Auctioneering, Valuation and Real Estate Brokering. Schokman and Samerawickreme have established a legacy of trust, which has made the company the preferred auctioneer, valuer and realtor among the corporate sector and diplomatic missions. The company attributes this to its professionalism and service excellence in attention to its clientele. At Schokman and Samerawickreme, an item you know longer want can receive a fresh start under the hammer and begin a sojourn at a brand new destination.
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| Schokman & Samerawickreme |
Tea and Tea Products
It wasn’t really all that long ago that Sri Lanka’s Hill Country was largely a wild and ragged sweep of jungle-clad mountains, but then along came the British and they felt in need of a nice cup of tea. So they chopped down the jungle and turned the Hill Country into one giant tea estate. And you know what? The result is mighty pretty! Sri Lankan tea is now famous across the world, and visiting a tea estate, staying in a converted tea planter's cottage, or merely sipping a cuppa in a local tea shop is one of the great pleasures of travelling in Sri Lanka.
Halpetea
For over 35 years, Halppewatte Tea factory has been producing some of the most uniquely delicious single estate single origin teas to come from Ceylon.
Sri Lanka Tea Board Showrooms
150 years of ceylon tea
Colombo gem and jewellery stores
Deep below Sri Lanka’s surface is an abundance of gem deposits, earning the country the nickname of Ratna Dweepa (gem island) and adding some glitz and glamour to Sri Lanka's tourist industry. It’s no surprise then that Colombo’s streets are lined with gem and jewellery stores, each with its own speciality: Vogue is one place to go for traditional-style bridal jewellery, or try Sifani for more contemporary, colourful pieces. If you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, check out Colombo Jewellery Stores. Gold or silver, sapphires or rubies, our guide will help you find the perfect accessory on your visit to Sri Lanka.
Ayura
Elegantly and classy jewellery to suit any occasion.
A jeweller that has excelled throughout four generations, Ayura is a paradise of dazzling and elegant masterpieces. Their showroom along Galle Road displays a collection crafted with precision and care. Professionally cut gemstones are embellished in intricately handcrafted jewellery by skilled designers. Thus each luxury piece is completed with great finesse.
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| Ayura Jem Necklace |
Zam Gems
Zam Gems offers you unique and modern jewellery made from genuine materials at affordable prices. The collection includes pendants, rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets made of precious and semi precious gemstones with a range of vibrant hues. The sparkle in each stone and jewellery reflects the skill of the craftsman. Zam Gems also makes personalised jewellery designs manufactured from finest gems that create an effect of elegance. Such high quality crafted jewellery pieces and precious gemstones display the innovative combination of traditional techniques and new technologies.
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| Zam Jem Necklace |
Colombo Jewellery Stores
One of the high end jewellery stores in Colombo that features unique designs.
Guided by its founder’s visionary belief in fabulous precious gems and a keen eye for fashion, backed by enviable craftsmanship, CJS stands today as a hallmark of luxury, style and quality. Coveted and desired by local and international customers, CJS is one of the most respected, revered and influential brands in Sri Lanka. Personified by the store’s globally recognised ambassador, Jacqueline Fernandez, Colombo Jewellery Stores is the very epitome of luxury and glamorous trinkets. Additionally, CJS is also a home to some of the world's most luxurious brands of watches such as HUBLOT, Tag Heuer and Raymond Weil.
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| Diamond Ring |
Clothes shopping in Colombo
MANGO
The elegant MANGO store features a range of women’s wear, from trendy casual wear and smart wear to glamourous evening wear. The single floor at street level has excellent visibility, ample access and parking facilities. The MANGO flagship store in Colombo has a range of accessories for the fashion tourists in town. MANGO epitomises style, convenience and versatility and is a must-stop for all ladies especially during the festive season.
Hameedia
Hameedias was established in 1949. Since then, the store has achieved phenomenal growth to become one of the household names in Sri Lanka.
Hameedias today is a name synonymous with high quality custom tailoring and ready-made clothes for gents.
Men of distinction – be they corporate executives or the outdoor adventure zealots, bridegrooms, sports personalities and film stars – have all shared the Hameedia excellence.
Romafour
Stretching up six levels, Romafour caters to all fashion needs. Their collections are contemporary as well as timeless. Their pieces are created with quality materials to ensure a longlasting and unique purchase.
Kamsins
The place to go if you are a lover of Indian fashion.
An elegant clothes store situated in Colombo 06, Kamsins is for the man and the woman and the young and the old with an inimitable range of designer saris, lehengas and shalwars, suits, sherwanis and kurthis. The accessories to glamorise the outfits are antique and hefty and blend well with the heavily embellished saris and other ladies’ wear. Kamsins specialises in wedding attire for the bride and the groom and every piece is intricately worked and embroidered with beautiful threads of gold, silver and bronze and a multitude of stones and sequins. Kamsins is also popular and frequented for being trendy by those knowing what’s in vogue in sari and men’s wear. Kamsins is a must-visit fashion store for Indian outfits selected only from the finest and cutting-edge designers of India.
Essential shopping destinations
Majestic City
One of the most popular shopping malls in Colombo.
Majestic City is one of oldest malls in Sri Lanka and still remains the country’s most sought after shopping destination. It is a seven-storied building with 96 shops.
The basement has a kids’ play area and a decent food court. After a major renovation in 2008, MC as it is widely known, got its own cineplex with four cinemas. These are the MC Platinum, Gold, Ultra and Superior cinemas. Platinum is the largest.
There are few showrooms of international brands and perhaps MC lacks the glamour of shopping malls elsewhere but by international standards it qualifies as a fine shopping complex. MC has also become “THE” place for a hangout with youngsters strolling its corridors window shopping or lounging on its galleries.
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| Majestic City |
Liberty Plaza
A shopping complex which is also a great hangout place.
This is the country’s first shopping complex and dates back to the late 1980s. If Liberty Plaza seems staid, on closer inspection it will delight you with some rarities. It is home to some of the quaintest shops in the city. There are plenty of outlets which offer good deals on mobile phones, electronic goods etc. The “Photo Technica” is the city’s abode for all photographers - it sells the latest variety of digital cams and other electronic accessories. The mall is slightly old fashioned with its timings as it closes at 7pm on weekdays. Also it’s closed on Sundays, making it difficult for weekend shoppers.
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| Liberty Plaza |
Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct
A beautiful old Dutch building converted into a shopping precinct
The Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct is one of the most attractive shopping centres in the country. The building was originally a hospital during the Dutch occupation of Sri Lanka, and is considered to be the oldest building in the historic Colombo Fort area. It was also used as a police station and an apothocary, before it was finally converted into its current role in 2011. The building is centred around two courtyards, which sometimes host live music. It has a few cafes, restaurants, shops and bars. It's a nice place to stop and enjoy the shade, and with low slung tiled roofs and attractive colonades.
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| Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct |