Because of the high influence of Singapore here, you can find that shopping is abundant and very much loved by visitors and the people of Johor Bahru. Comparatively, shopping in Johor Bahru is more expensive than other states in around Malaysia. This is because of the fact that a lot of Singaporeans tend to come over here to shop due to the inferior rate of the Malaysian Ringgit compared to the Singaporean dollar. This means that retailers tend to hike up their price a bit which to the Singaporeans are relatively still cheaper compared to buying the goods in their country.
There are an array of choices in shopping malls here in Johor Bahru. There is the City Square, which is one of the landmarks as you enter the state from Singapore. Other shopping malls here include the AEON Tebrau City, which is the latest shopping centre here. The biggest mall in the city here include various retailers and international brands like Dorothy Perkin’s, MNG and Giordano while housing many other food outlets as well. Plaza Pelangi, Plaza Kotaraya and Holiday Plaza are other shopping malls in around the city as well.
For those who like to buy handicrafts or souvenirs can head out to the Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation (JARO) which sells rattan craft and products as well as made from other material which are all home made and meticulously developed.
