Jul 09 2006
Shopping Spree in Phsar Toul Tompong
I went on a shopping spree for clothes today. I bought all signature items – Gap, Lee, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Adidas, Anne Klein, etc.. Everything is original and brand new (not ukay-ukay). I bought five tops, two pairs of stretch jeans, and a pair of walking shorts. How much did I spend? The grand total is…. US$23! (And $0.25 for parking).
The garments industry is one of the top and fastest-growing industries in Cambodia. Garments contribute 80% of the export earnings of the country. The industry provides jobs for about 280,000 people. The industry grew when Cambodia benefited from an international trade deal that granted quotas in return for improved labor conditions. Although a lot of people were afraid that the garment industry in Cambodia would suffer when the quota system ended on January 1 2005, so far, this is not the case and the industry is still thriving today.
What happens is that the garment factories sell their export overruns to merchants in the market, the most popular of which is the Phsar Toul Tompong or Russian Market where I went shopping (kuminsan siempre, ninanakaw din ang mga damit ng mga empleyado para ibenta sa palengke). They sell Gap shirts for $2 – $2.50, Lee jeans for $5 and so on. The prices get higher if the color of your skin is white and cheaper if you can speak Khmer. The clothes they sell in the Russian Market are all top quality. There is nothing wrong with most of them, except perhaps for the labelling of the sizes (the S, M, L are inter-changed).
There is of course a downside in buying all these cheap clothes. First, it is unbearably hot in Toul Tompong. Now I know how cake feels like while it’s being baked. I can’t last longer than thirty minutes inside the market so I have to be an expert in speed-shopping. Also, since you go shopping in the market, you can’t fit most of the clothes and just take a risk since they’re cheap anyway (my sukis, however, allow me to return ill-fitting clothes). Another thing is that since most Filipinos here also go shopping in Toul Tompong, I always risk running into a kababayan wearing the same Gap shirt as mine.
Despite this bargain, I still miss Glorietta or even Megamall where I can use the fitting rooms, where there are (relatively) clean bathrooms, where I can stop by Starbucks for some coffee, and watch a movie afterwards.
- Cambodian Krama
- Mommy in Phnom Penh
- Good-Bye Cambodia
- Letter from a Mother and Future Expat in Phnom Penh
- Do’s and Dont’s in Cambodia
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wow! shopping galore! weird ako. wala ako patience sa shopping. kaya i’ll never exchange the malls khet mas mahal sya. hehehe
Akala ko naman sosyal ka at puro brand names. Ang mura naman pala.
The garment industry also used to bloom here in Winnipeg. But factories started to close down a few years ago and transferred business to other places where labour is cheap. My mother was one of the greatly affected. She was laid off by the company she worked for over 20 years. She found a new job though. Another job where she also sews.
left a comment yesterday but i can;t find it. baka na-spam na naman ha
Niceheart… oo nga… with what I spent, siguro I can only buy one shirt if I bought it in the States where it would be exported.
The minimum wage here is $45…I guess that’s tough for the factories in developed countries. China’s minimum wage is probably even lower. Oh, your mother was in Canada for more than 20 years na pala?
Tin-Tin… so sorry about that again and thanks for bringing my attention to the spam. It appears that yours is not the only legitimate comment that got mistaken as spam.
Yes… I know what you mean… that’s why whenever I go to Manila or Bangkok, I enjoy the malls so much. I just needed to go shopping yesterday because I absolutely have nothing to wear already!
Here’s a trick on how you can fit a jeans or any pants without actually wearing it. Hold a zipped up jeans (and make sure that the button is fastened too) on the waistband and wrap it around your neck. If the two ends meet at the tip, then it will probably be your size. If it doesn’t, then it’s too small.
However, this only works on regular fitted jeans. I’m not sure if it works on those low-cut jeans. But it works for me.
That’s one opf the tricks I’ve learned in my 20 years in the jeans industry, hehe.
i wanna go there naaaaa!
She’s been here since 1980, Toe. Almost 26 years. And I’ve been here 16 years.
Wow! Mura nga, dito ang mamahal ng branded clothes. Kaya pag bakasyon sa pinas pa rin ako nag sa shopping.
Thanks for the tip, Sngl.
I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll probably need to add a few inches for those low cut jeans. Oh, so you’re in the jeans business pala.
Haha Duke! Prices are unbelievably cheap huh! I’m sure if I go to the States, I’d buy the same shirt for about $20 and the tag would say “Made in Cambodia.”
I’m not sure but I won’t be surprised if your scrubs are made here as well. I do know that they export hospital gowns.
Niceheart, really smart of you and your mother. I think that Canada is one of the best places to migrate to and take care of a family.
Ann, same here. I can only buy casual shirts and jeans here, but nothing for almost anything else. I need to buy shoes, underwear, office clothes, formal clothes, books, cds, dvds, medicine and vitamins from Bangkok or the Philippines.
My oh my,…those Hillfigers are such a bargain. Make me wish that I was there. It’s a good opportunity for business, cheap original produccts that can be sold here for almost double the cost. I wonder if they sell wholesale at the Russian market.
wow, that was a great bargain! i love shopping too
Major Tom, I think it’s better to contact the garment factories directly. You can also inquire with them about shipping costs, customs duties, and others.
Jane, yup! Not a bad bargain no? There are some good things going on in this part of the world.
What a cool entry! I never knew this about the clothes. I can not imagine buying them so cheaply. That is awesome. I just bought a new pair of Levi pants and a cheap no-name shirt from a discount place and my total was around $32 – for just 2 items! One outfit!
Does “ukay-ukay” mean used? That is a cute phrase. I like it.
Tee, you’re right… “ukay-ukay” means used or second hand.
Aren’t the clothes here dirt-cheap? And to think that when they get exported to the States the prices go up a hundred-fold. It’s crazy, isn’t it?
wow sis bakit hindi mo ko dinala don when i was there?!
Sixter! As if you’re not yet overweight with all those buddhas, jewelry boxes, and cashew nuts no!
Anyway, we did try to enter the garment stalls… but remember that it was excruciatingly hot… parang oven talaga! I can only stay there for 30 minutes… or 45 minutes tops! 
I’m sure you’ll be back though.
Napaka mura! I want to vacation in Cambodia!
Aurea, hala punta na!
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