What are the items that I should bring with me because they’re not available (or are too expensive) where I am going?

With the increased diversity of goods now available in Kuala Lumpur, it will be fairly easy to find many of your familiar products, whether they be American, Australian, Asian or European. However, just to be safe, you might want to bring favorite brands of over-the-counter medications and vitamins.


Will anyone have particular trouble finding clothes that fit?

Most of the clothing is sized for the Asian market, so bathing suits, lingerie and other manufactured clothing is not designed for the Caucasian woman over about 5’ 5” in height. Shoes are also limited to the lower end of sizes (i.e., women's US size 8 and below, men's US size 10 and below) in many styles. However, there are such stores as Marks and Spencer as well as a handful of others that carry some larger-sized foreign brands of clothing.
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What grocery stores do expats in your city shop at?

AEON Big, Giant, Ben's Independent Grocer, Cold Storage, Tesco, Hock Choon Supermarket, Ampang Mini Market, Isetan and Village Grocer are examples of such places. 

There is also a local van company that comes to your house or condominium and brings all kinds of products (including beer and wine). If they don’t have a particular item at the time, they will deliver it for you later in the day.


Where can other household items (such as cleaning materials and home furnishings) be found?

Cleaning materials and supplies can be found in the local grocery stores mentioned above. Some of the main department stores where other household items and home furnishings can be found are Metrojaya, AEON and Isetan. IKEA also has a very large outlet in Petaling Jaya and Cheras.

Malaysia is a good place to buy custom-made furniture made from local rosewood or Indonesian teak.

Good quality Persian carpets are also a good buy, as well as Chinese antique furniture.


What are factors that might affect my shopping habits in this country/city?

Many Malaysians shop for fresh meat and vegetables from local food markets where the food is fresh and the prices are lower than at the grocery stores. Expats may find shopping at one of these markets to be a fun experience. As for the supermarkets and major shopping centers, they generally operate from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily and weekends (Friday to Sunday) from 10:00a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
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IMPORTANT NOTE:

Crown Relocations has made every effort to present accurate information. However, regulations, rates and other variables are subject to change and Crown Relocations cannot accept responsibility for the errors that might result. Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact your local Crown representative.