20 Best Shopping Experiences in Phnom Penh

The 68,000-sq-m Aeon Mall opened in mid-2014, giving Phnom Penh a world-class shopping mall. It houses brand stores such as Sheridan, Mango, Levi’s and Adidas to name just a few, along with Aeon’s own store selling well-known brands, homeware and groceries.

There's an extensive food court on the top floor, along with a modern entertainment complex, including a cinema, karaoke lounge, bowling, arcades, and even ice skating! Among the services at the mall, you’ll find an airline sales centre on the ground floor, along with dry cleaners, western chemists, travel agencies and banks.

Like any mall, the food venues are many and varied — from food hall vendors to top-class restaurants — but don’t expect Cambodian street food or street food prices. It’s the place to shop and relax in air-conditioned comfort to escape the heat, noise and smells of the Phnom Penh street.

The Central Market in Phnom Penh is an architectural stand-out that was the work of famous Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann. The art deco-inspired and cross-shaped building sits under a golden dome. It’s worth a look even if you’re not hunting for souvenirs and knick-knacks.

Jewellery, watches and gold stands dominate the central area under the dome. Some of the gems are real, from Cambodia’s near-exhausted gem fields, and most of the silver and gold items are real, though you'll pay current trade prices, so don’t expect to get them for a steal.

Each of the 4 wings sell clothing, shoes, household items, and electronics. It’s fairly haphazard but adds to the enjoyment of wandering around inside the huge space. Around the outside – in the space between the wings – you can find some stands selling tourist favourites (T-shirts, Buddha statues, Angkor Wat paintings) and souvenirs as well as a good selection of stands selling fresh flowers. The food stalls are on the western side, towards Monivong Boulevard.

Kravan House was established in 2003 to help land mine victims and family groups. They have a line of quality silk clothing, accessories, and souvenirs. Kravan works directly with individuals and groups to improve their quality of life and support their families through the income they earn by producing these products.

Lucky Supermarket has several locations in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Lucky is the largest supermarket chain in Cambodia. They are not quite on the scale you would find in more developed countries, but they are actual supermarkets with a good selection of local and international brands. There's also a department store at the Sihanouk Blvd. store.

Monument Books is a full-fledged book store with a huge selection of international newspapers, magazines, travel guides, children’s books and toys, as well as books on a wide range of subjects, of course.

Most publications are in English, but other languages are available as well, including Khmer and French. You can find most publications and periodicals you are looking for here. There's a café upstairs. They also have a shop in Phnom Penh International Airport.

The Old Market in Phnom Penh has been in its current location since the French colonial times and is the oldest market still operating in Phnom Penh. This is truly a locals' market, popular with Khmer people, so a visit will give you the experience of a truly authentic market. 

Phsar Chas offers a wide range of clothing, handicrafts and textiles, along with motorcycle parts and fruits and vegetables. Towards the evening on weekends, the food vendors will set up mats along Street 13 for the evening market. The market closes at sunset, but the stands located on the south side selling souvenirs will often stay open until well after 8pm. You can reach the market on Street 108, just behind the Night Market and next to Freedom Park.

Olympic Market is a triple-storey market near the Olympic Stadium, and features mostly wholesale goods. For this reason, it's popular with local residents buying in bulk. They have fabrics, clothes, religious items and traditional Khmer dresses. Buyers can sometimes find big discounts.

Orussei Market (also called OuRuessei Market or Phsar Orussey) is the largest old-style market in Phnom Penh, which is spread across 3 floors. Not very well-known to tourists or even expats, this large building is just 5 minutes by tuk tuk from Central Market, and is the place where many Cambodians shop for everyday items.

You can find everything from food, household items, garden tools and electronics on the ground floor to jewellery, tailors, fabric and clothing on the 2 other floors. The top floor is especially popular with locals as a factory-style outlet for a lot of the well-known brands that manufacture their clothes in and around the city.

Prices at Orussei Market are much cheaper than you will pay at home, but you'll find mostly smaller sizes to suit the Cambodian shoppers. While bargains can be had, this market is so big that you can easily get lost in the labyrinth of aisles and stalls. You can find the market on Street 182, west of Monivong Boulevard.

The Phnom Penh Night Market is a popular spot for tourists and locals and has a relaxed atmosphere. The locals mostly come for the evening entertainment on the main stage (such as singers, performers or company promotions) and to eat at the food stalls.

While there is more on sale by locals for locals here, tourists and visitors can find handicrafts, clothing, wood carvings, etc. The main reason to come here is to mingle with the locals and try the local food at the open-air food court behind the main stage. You'll be able to sample some traditional Khmer street food while eating with the Khmer families sitting down on mats, set up on the grass, or (if you’re lucky) at one of the tables with plastic chairs.

The Russian Market gets its name from the 1980s, when it was first popular with foreigners, most of whom were Russian. That's contrary to the popular myth that this is where Kalashnikov rifles were readily sold! These days, you’ll find expats, locals and tourists from all over the world winding their way through the market’s inner maze.

You can find almost everything here: clothing, souvenirs, artefacts, antiques, paintings, jewellery, lamps, kitchen utensils, shoes, silk scarves — even parts for your scooter! You also have a nice display of the usual tourist fare in the form of knock-off watches and luggage. The food area is very interesting to wander around, though be careful of the wet floor near the fresh food area as it can be slippery. Stop for lunch or a snack on the delicious local food offerings to recharge between your bargain hunts.

The streets immediately surrounding the Russian Market also house many interesting shops that are worth checking for antiques, silk or even western food. Find the market on the corner of streets 440 and 155, south of Mao Tse Toung Boulevard in Boeung Keng Kang.

Street 240 is a nice, quiet street behind the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, with a lot of shops and eateries in old French colonial houses. You'll find a mix of boutique fashion shops, souvenir shops, cafés, shops belonging to charities, and NGOs promoting fair trade and goods made by locals.

The street is a great place to find small, independent fashion boutiques selling unique clothing made of local fabrics and silk, as well as unique jewellery shops tucked away behind a garden and selling items made of “buttons”. There are also stores selling second-hand books and a volunteer library offering a reading room. Textile shops offer their wares for home decoration or clothing, and cooperative clothing stores showcase fabrics locally designed and woven, providing a fair wage to employees. If you’re tired of the usual Southeast Asian trinkets gifts and souvenirs, this is the place to find something different.