Where to Shop in Auckland - Shopping Malls

Back in Manila, we have shopping malls on every corner--as in, literally next to each other! Think Greenbelt and Glorietta; Megamall, Podium and Shangrila; and, SM Northe EDSA and Trinoma. 

Here in New Zealand, however, because of the way, way smaller consumer population, that's not the case. Malls are few and far between. The biggest is the entire country is Sylvia Park Mall located in the Auckland suburb of Mount Wellington.

I'd say Sylvia Park resembles Alabang Town Center in Muntinlupa, with number of alfresco dining options.

The shopping mall itself is just 2 storeys, unlike Megamall's 6 level. So, way less number and variety of stores, but the essentials are there. They have movie theaters (Hoyts), electronic goods (Dick Smith), clothing stores (Cotton On, etc.), shoes (Hush Puppies, etc.), fashion accessories (Sunglass Hut, etc.), children's clothes (Baby Factory), fast food restaurants (Mcdonald's, Burger Fuel, etc.), cafes (Starbucks, Gloria Jeans), and supermarkets (Pak 'n Save and Countdown). Sylvia Park mall is 15 minutes away from the CBD by train. Board at Britomart station. One way fare is NZ$4.50.

Westfield Downtown Shopping Center

There is one mall in the CBD. It's Westfield Downtown Shopping Centre right across Britomart, and next to the Ferry Terminal. It's small. It's like the new Cash & Carry mall ,without the supermarket and the movie theaters. It just has a few shops, a food court, and one local superstore called The Warehouse (more on this in another post). The only reason I go to Westfield Downtown is to visit the Mountain Designs store.

Westfield is like their Ayala Malls here. It owns a number of malls around the country. It has a bunch of others in Auckland, but most of them are scattered around the suburbs. Westfield Newmarket is probably the nearest to the CBD, but if you ask me it's not worth going to since it's only slightly larger than Downtown. Bigger and better ang Westfield St. Lukes. Hindi nga lang walking distance from the CBD. You have to ride the bus to get there.

Then there's Dress Smart outlet shopping mall in Onehunga. It's only one storey, but has way more better selections and at outlet prices. The shops I go to here are Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Mountain Designs, Cotton On, and Bing & Harris. In fairness, you can get great deals here. Bought a Cotton On shirt for NZ$12.50 (PhP450.00) and Columbia hiking pants for NZ$40.00 (PhP1,400.00). Last season nga lang, but who cares?

There's a free shuttle to Dress Smart from the CBD every weekday. It picks up passengers at the bus stop in front of Langham Hotel on Symonds St. at 9:20, 10:50, 12:20 and 2:20. If you miss the shuttle or if it's full, then you can take the train from Britomart to Onehunga Station for NZ$4.50 one way.

They say shopping is expensive in New Zealand, and they're probably right for most shops here. But if you keep your eyes open for the sales, stay patient, and/or go to the outlet stores, shopping can be affordable and competitive.