9 Top Tips to Shopping at Platinum Fashion Mall Bangkok

Bangkok . 2013 . Jul 28

This post is part of our Bangkok 3 days 2 nights short weekend trip itinerary. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

Having experienced great shopping at Platinum Fashion Mall during our 3 day 2 night visit to Bangkok and coming away with our shopping loot, we thought it might be useful to share some of our tips for first time shoppers to the Platinum Mall.

Tip #1: Always Negotiate for Wholesale Price

There are always 2 prices listed on the product tag.  The lower price is the wholesale price, while the higher price is the retail price.  Most shopkeepers will insist that you purchase at least 2 items (they can be different items in the shop, but within the same price range) in order to enjoy the wholesale price.  I usually find it easy to negotiate prices to the wholesale price even if I am purchasing just one item.

Tip #2: Consolidate Your Purchases in One Shop

When buying common items like accessories and belts, it may be better to consolidate your purchases in one shop. It’s definitely easier to negotiate a better deal and try to ask for a further discount on top of the wholesale prices.

Hairbands and Hairclips bought from the same accessories shop.

Bought all my shoes from the 9 to Five Shoe Shop.

Tip #3: Beware of Shops with No Price Tags on their Products 

This makes it easy for the shopkeeper to quote you differing prices depending on your nationality.  For instance, I bought Korean bracelets at THB $100 at a particular shop on the first day, but on the second day, the same shop quoted me THB $135 for the same item.  Even within the same day, different staff will quote you different prices.  Purchase only if you are sure that you are getting a good deal.

Tip #4: Do not Waste Your Time bargaining lower than the Listed Wholesale Price 

Platinum Mall is a wholesale centre, and the shop keepers there are more keen to sell their products to a big customer than to a one-time customer.  Unless they are trying to get rid of stocks, it is unlikely that you will be able to get a price cheaper than the listed wholesale price, unless you really do buy in large quantities.  In all cases, I’ve walked away from hearing a high price and the shop keeper will not make any attempt to lower the price to get me back.

At THB $50, this is already consider a steal. No point bargaining for lower prices. Save your time to explore more shops instead.

Tip #5: Stay in a Hotel near to Platinum Fashion Mall

It makes it so much easier to go back to the hotel to freshen up and off-load your purchases when they get too heavy. We were staying in Mercure Bangkok Siam, which was near the MBK area. This means that we have to take the skytrain or taxi to go to Platinum Mall every day, which certainly cuts down our shopping time. Novotel Bangkok Platinum is the best hotel to stay if you are going to shop at Platinum Fashion Mall all day as it is just above the mall and provides direct link access to the mall!

Besides Novotel Bangkok Platinum, some of the popular hotels near the Platinum Mall include Amari Watergate Bangkok, Glow Pratunam Hotel and Centara Grand at CentralWorld

Tip #6: Prioritize Your Time 

In general, I find that the newer wing of Platinum Mall sells more fashionable things than the older wing.  Having said that, being an avid shopper, I will still find the time to walk through the older wing so as not to miss out on any good deals.  The shops at Platinum Mall are categorized based on the items they sell, for instance, Level 5 sells only children’s stuff and accessories, Level 4 specializes in shoes and bags, while the lower floors are for woman’s fashion.  If you are hard-pressed for time, know what you want before hitting the mall.

Tip #7: Buy if the Price is Right

Most shops sells things that are unique to their own shop, and once you find that the price quoted is acceptable to you, purchase it on the spot.  It is unlikely that you will find the same thing again at another shop, unless it is another branch of the same shop.  Given the size and massiveness of the mall, it is also unlikely that you will be able to retrace your steps back to the shop, especially if you are short of time.

Tip #8: Bring a Friend with You

There are no changing facilities in each shop (being a wholesale mall), and some shops do not even have a mirror, so you can’t see how a piece of clothing will look on you.  Your best bet is the opinion of a friend to see if the clothes fit you.   For that reason, I prefer to buy shoes and accessories as they can be easily tried on. Lucky these dresses fit me.. :)

Tip #9: Wear a Good Pair of Walking Shoes

Most importantly, wear a good pair of walking shoes.  You’ll be on your feet for most of the time in the mall!
You might want to take a short lunch break at Fuji Japanese Resutaurant or the food court before continuing on your shopping adventure!

We hope the above tips will help in your shopping at Platinum Fashion Mall. Do you have any tips on shopping at Platinum Shopping Mall? We would love to hear your comments! :)

This post is part of our Bangkok 3 days 2 nights short weekend trip itinerary. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

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