Shopping in Panama
Weather you’re driving around town trying to find the best deal on appliances or looking for a couch with just the right shape and color- Panama’s modern and varied shops are sure to surprise you. Much like any big city, Panama’s shops offer a wide variety: from the ultra chic to the bargain basement!
In the shopping in Panama section, we try to provide an insight for those that need a quick overview.
Electronics Stores
If you’re looking for small and medium sized electronics, you will have lots of great locations to choose from! Major chains such as Panafoto, Audiofoto, and Multimax are located throughout the country, but sometimes
small distributors are the way to go. The Panafoto on Calle 50 is the main branch, and they’ve got a Bose showroom that’s second to none in Panama. The Mutlimax on Via Brasil’s got a fantastic video game section as well as the cheapest flat screen tvs i have found in Panama.
For appliance shopping in Panama, I would suggest checking out places like Rodelag, Ryanco, and even the place behind the Riba Smith on Transismica called Value City. Of course, you can pick up appliances in chains like Novey, Do It Center, and a number of other hardware stores, but the stores mentioned above tend to have the best prices on well known brands like Whirlpool, Panasonic, and Frigidaire.
Furniture in Panama
Panama has a lot of options when it comes to purchasing furniture. Good bets are Jamar and Furniture City for good quality at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for the deals, head to El Costo or any of the small independent furniture places in Calidonia like Creditos Mundiales.
For more high end, check out the many shops near MultiPlaza mall on the corner of Via Brazil and Calle Israel. They are not located inside the mall, but rather a few blocks from there. Roche Bobois even set up a location here-the crème de la crème of furniture stores in Panama. I think the best showrooms for both Furniture City and Jamar are located on Via Espana.
For affordable office furniture in Panama, head to Raenco, Office Depot, or Rodelag.
The Deals
So everybody likes to tout how cheap Panama is, but if you don’t know where to shop, you’ll end up paying more than you should. Here’s a list of our favorite stores and why:
Titan: great for quality appliances like blenders/toasters/etc. Affordable, high quality linens, kitchen goods, and decoration stuff like flower vases.
Sprago: Cool clothes for young and old. Locations that I know of are Via Espana, Avenida Balboa, and Los Pueblos Mall
Avenida Central: Check out this pedestrian shopping area during the day. Great deals on things like shoes, small electronics, clothing, and super cheap appliances. You can also pick up bootlegged DVDs, CDs, and cell phones.
Via Espana: There are a handful of great little electronic stores near the El Rey supermarket, including the one on the corner near Sportline. I’ve found their prices to be competitive for things like USB memory sticks, laser printers, and a handful of other random items.
Los Pueblos mall: lots of good cheap clothing stores, including a number of sports apparel stores and cheap department stores.