10 Best Shopping Experiences in Cebu

Ayala is a 6-storey, 9-hectare mall in the Cebu Business Park and is slightly more up-market than SM City, though there are budget-friendly parts to it. You can expect to find international street-fashion brands like Armani Exchange, Guess, Lacoste and Esprit here, as well as some popular local labels.

Other than the big brands, the mall has 2 supermarkets, a modern department store, cinemas, health spas and restaurants. The Terraces is a large area dedicated to food and beverages and features over 100 restaurants, coffee shops, pastry shops and more. Fully air-conditioned, Ayala Center Cebu offers a very pleasant space to spend a hot day.

One of the largest Robinsons shopping malls outside of Manila, Robinsons Galleria Cebu contains over 300 stores across 6 floors. While exploring the mammoth shopping complex, you’ll find boutiques, stores, restaurants and bars, including international brand-name stores such as True Value. 

Naturally, there’s also the Robinsons Department Store and Robinsons Appliances. The entertainment section of the complex is no less impressive, containing a 6-screen cinema. All of this is conveniently found just a stroll away from the Port of Cebu.

SM City Cebu is a huge shopping mall – easily among the biggest in the city. The 4-storey complex comprises a large department store, a supermarket, over 500 shops and restaurants, cinemas (including an IMAX theatre) and a fully computerised bowling centre.

Many people come here to buy electronic items such as digital cameras, smartphones because of the unusually low prices. Even so, you’ll also find plenty of fashion, fragrances, healthcare items and food, among other items. The stores and brands tend to be around the mid-range, with a few big-name standouts also available.

The Carbon Market has been operating for over 100 years and still offers great prices on a staggering range of goods. The wares available at this local market range from fresh meat and vegetables to clothing, home décor and religious items.

The market is relatively big, though you can hire a horse carriage to take you around. Also, there are food stalls and restaurants serving inexpensive local dishes until late afternoon. Large parts of the market are under metal roofing and, with little air circulation, it can get very stuffy and sweaty, especially in the midday heat – make sure you keep well hydrated!

Mactan Marina Mall is a strip mall by the airport with over 100 speciality shops selling discounted goods and products from Mactan Economic Zone. Stores include big names like Timex and Adidas. It also has a SaveMore Supermarket. The selections of food inside Marina Mall include seafood, Chinese, Korean, European and a patisserie.

As in most shopping malls, a cool choice of boutiques and services are available at Marina Mall: fashion, health and beauty, banking, photo printing and more.

Filipinos have an excellent reputation all around the world for their musical skills, so it makes sense that quality handcrafted musical instruments are easily found in the Philippines. Located just south of Cebu-Mactan Airport, Alegre Guitar Factory is a recognised company at which you can buy excellent acoustic guitars and ukuleles. The good point is that this guitar factory is open to the public, so you can visit it and see the instruments being crafted.

SM Seaside City Cebu – locally called ‘Seaside’ – is among the largest shopping malls in the country, covering over 470,000 sq m with more than 700 stores. The circular-shaped shopping, dining and leisure entertainment complex can keep you busy all day long.

You’ll find almost everything here, from clothing to toys to electronic goods, as well as 6 cinemas, an 18-lane bowling alley and an ice-skating rink. Look out for big-name brands in fashion, gadgetry, beauty, lifestyle and, of course, dining.

Taboan is a large, covered public market specialising in dried goods. Extremely popular, it has Cebu’s largest choice of dry fish and seafood, known as bulad in the Philippines. The favourite product found here is danggit (salted sun-dried rabbitfish), the Cebu version of which is reputedly the best in the whole Philippines.

Other products that can be found at Taboan Public Market include dried mango, longganisa (Filipino pork sausage), tamarind balls and more. The smell of all this dried seafood is rather pungent, so it’s best to wear a mask if you are sensitive to smell. Also, plan to get back to your room and change your clothes after a visit to Taboan Public Market as the smell sticks to them.