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Writer's pictureSetrida Chikwense

The Headache That Comes With Shopping In Malawi

You have an event coming up, a date, a wedding or maybe just want to update your wardrobe without breaking a bank. Or perhaps, you want decent clothing without having to trudge through the flea market; what would be your go-to clothes’ retail store or boutique ? One you are sure of finding exactly what you are looking for? I, for one have no idea .


Speaking as a Lilongwe resident, since the situation may slightly vary in other cities, shoppers don’t really have good options when it comes to shopping. A nice pair of dress or shoes requires multiple journeys to town and several other shopping malls. If you have an event coming up, and you don't want to embarrass yourself, the wisest thing to do is start looking for clothes months before the event .


The majority of clothing stores in Lilongwe are boutiques, which are noticeably small and offer a limited selection of clothing. The relatively large boutiques in Lilongwe town, at the city mall, crossroads, and game complex, stock limited, generally outdated, and overpriced clothes. The other boutiques in different areas around town (i.e. area 47) are inaccessible to many people, and they, too, are affected by understocking, offering customers very few apparel options.

Countries like South Africa, (where most of our boutiques import from), on top of having large malls and a variety of clothes and shopping complexes, also have dependable online shops, can't say the same about Malawi. People can freely purchase online at sites such as Cotton On, Mr. Price, Etsy, Checkers, Woolworths, and Zara, to name a few.


Now, some capable Malawians opt to order clothes from foreign online clothing shops like ASOS, Shein or Alibaba which offers them a variety of options at affordable prices. However, ordering online has its own disadvantages; aside from the taxes that must be paid, you are not guaranteed of the quality of the garments and are often unsure of how the items will fit; hence, buying at a physical store is still very much preferable and necessary.


There is a demand for dependable retail clothing stores and boutique around the city that provide shoppers with a diverse range of options and a pleasant shopping experience.


What has been your experience , when it comes to shopping for clothes in Malawi ?

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