Kota Kinabalu City holds many main shopping centers of Sabah. Most shopping centers offer a variety of different retail outlets and depending on what the items you are looking for, each shopping center has their own uniqueness.

Overall there are 5 large and 2 medium shopping malls. The largest is Centerpoint which is located on a 4 acres site and has been operated since the early 90s. The second largest is the Karamunsing Complex and the newest mall is the KK Plaza Mall which was only opened in 2001 and is located just adjacent to the Kota Kinabalu City Central Market. Other smaller malls are Wawasan 2020 Mall; the Likas Square Mall which is slightly out of the downtown area; and Wisma Sabah is located just adjacent to Merdeka Complex and is mostly patronized by tour operators and dive companies. Although most of the shops in these complexes carry fixed priced items the goods sold are all reasonably priced especially during the Mega Sales months of March, August and December. Most shopping complexes open from 10:00 am and close at 10:00 pm.

Apart from shopping complexes, areas such as Segama, Sinsuran, Asia City, Gaya Street, and Api-Api Center are also shopping areas good for electronic products. The Filipino Market is a place to buy handicrafts but if you are looking authentically Sabahan-made products then the Sri Pelancongan Sabah shop located at Sinsuran Complex is a good place to stop by. There is also a water village along the sea front known as Kampung Ayer where a bustling Central market sits mid-way along the waterfront. The fish market here teems with incredible varieties. In the early morning, fishermen unload their catch directly onto market tables. Kadazan women display fresh fruit and vegetables brought down form the farms in the foothills of Mount Kinabalu.

Antiques - Antiques shops are very popular among tourists and you will be surprised of what you could find such as old grandfather clocks, watches, colonial hats, irons, potteries, and many more. Please be sure that you have some prior knowledge of antiques before hand or shop around for prices before deciding to buy something. Merdeka Complex has the most antique shops and Wawasan 2020 also has one big outlet.

Books and Magazines - The largest collections of books about Borneo are at numerous bookshops in Merdeka Complex. Books for sale includes culture, wildlife, nature, flowers and plants, many tropical design and gardening books as well. These books are very popular for visitors as souvenirs and most of them have spectacular photographs.

Brand Fashion Wear - Most brand products such as Calvin Klien, Dockers, Guess, British India, Timberland, U2 and etc are all located at Centerpoint Mall. It is best to catch them on sale during the Mega Sales Festivals.

Cell Phones and Telecommunications - Many cell phone shops are also available in abundance in all shopping malls. KK Plaza presently has the most number of hand phone shops under one roof. If you are here for a long stay and wish to use a cell phone, the best is to buy a prepaid cell phone card and you get immediate access. Presently, Celcom (Tel Co.) has the widest coverage. GPRS access in only available from TimeCel at the moment but will be available with other Tel Cos very soon. Prepaid phone cards can be purchased on most hand phone outlets at RM50 and RM100.

Computer and Accessories - The most complete variety of computer hardware and accessories are located at Karamunsing and boast some of the cheapest prices in the city. If you are interested to look for parts and etc, Karamunsing is the place. However, if you are interested in Pocket PC or PDAs, these items are quite limited.

Electronics Items - VCDs, DVDs, Hi Fis in Sabah are considered one of the cheapest in Malaysia. If you are interested to purchase these items, there are many electrical shops located at Karamunsing and Centerpoint.

Factory Outlets - Factory outlet stores are only available at Centerpoint and is very popular among visitors and locals as many brands such as Polo, DKNY, and etc. Some of these outlets also offer good wind breakers and winter clothing for those who are interested in climbing Mt. Kinabalu.

Handicrafts - If you are interested in exploring Borneo's handicrafts and souvenirs, the Karamunsing Complex has the largest handicraft centers among all the malls. However, most malls such as Merdeka, Centerpoint and etc have many handicraft shops as well.

Sports Gear - Sports wear such as runners, hiking boots, and etc are also available at most of the malls. Centerpoint presently has the most varieties with Nike, Adidas, Fila and Reebok outlets. Do check some of the offers as you may get to purchase a pair of good runners at bargain. There are also some good fishing gear outlets in Centerpoint and Merdeka.

Watches and Jewelry - Watches are also offered at competitive prices and most of the famous brands are available at most of the malls. Centerpoint and Merdeka have the most variety of brand-name sport watches. These two malls also have the most variety of jewelry for sale.