If you live in Karachi, you can find anything you need in an affordable range IF you know where to go for it. If you are one of those people who go to a mall for everything you need then let me tell you that you are consciously being ripped off. There’s nothing in this city that you can’t find at a local market.
Here’s a list of 16 markets in Karachi with details on everything you can find there:
1. Boulton Market
Boulton market is a one stop whole-sale market where you will find ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! From bobby pins to sports goods, from plastic goods to kitchen utensils, from toys to cosmetics, bags to artificial jewellry, spectacles to watches and WHAT NOT! If you are a Karachite and have never been to Boulton market, you haven’t seen real Karachi!
2. Zainab Market
Are you looking for a branded pair of jeans? A polo shirt from a brand not yet available in Pakistan? Well, guess what? We are massive importers of clothing and Zainab Market is the place for you! Here you will find some extraordinary jeans, t-shirts, shorts, shirts, belts - branded and local. They have it all! You enter those narrow allies and you will see jeans, trousers and t-shirts hanging all over small shops from brands you will be shocked to find here. All you need to do is find the best shop as per your requirement and talk to the shopkeeper to show you the best of everything he has got. If you need brands, he will get you brands. Levis, Armani, Gap - you name it and you get it, that too in extremely affordable prices!
3. Kaghzi Bazar
Have you wandered in Kurtaba market to find a perfect lace for your Eid ka jorda? Don’t you think the prices of those laces are too high? Visit Kaghzi bazaar and find all the same beautiful laces at much more reasonable prices. This is a wholesale market for laces and some shops also sell cloth material.
4. Aram Bagh
If you want to buy some new furniture for your house then you must visit this place. These shops have a thousand designs to choose from and if you don’t like any designs there, you can show the shopkeepers your favourite design and they will make it for you - EXACTLY THE SAME. The quality of wood will be better than any other brand can offer you.
5. Paper Market
Invitation cards, flags, badges, disposable glasses and plates, tissues, decorative items for your wedding and other occasions, envelopes, greeting cards - you will find everything here. They have special supplies for every occasion and you can buy everything at a lower price here. Don’t go with great expectations and be disappointed at the first shop, make it a mission, go spoil yourself and look at the variety of things available at all the other shops and I’m sure you will find whatever it is that you are looking for.
6. Rainbow Centre
Have you ever been to a DVD shop and spent a thousand bucks on one set of DVDs? My friend, you have just been gypped. Go to Rainbow Centre and you will find DVDs, CDs and audio/video cassettes at a very reasonable rate. They have DVDs for EVERY-FRIGGING-THING - from your favourite TV series to your favourite singer’s new album.
7. Mobile Market
The name says it all, from a Nokia 3310 to an iPhone 6s, every mobile phone in the history of cellular technology will be available in this very market! Mobile phones and their accessories, tabs and their accessories - they have the best of everything. There is a narrow alley in this market where you can find some of the coolest and funkiest phone covers ever!
8. Empress Market
This market has the best fruits and vegetable vendors in the city. Visit the market at 10pm and this place will be packed with vendors and customers. There are some really old shops for dry fruit too. You buy dry fruit from here once and you will know that you have been wasting your money all along buying dry fruits from super markets.
9. Regal Centre
You can get the best home appliances and other electronic appliances in this market. The shops here are packed with some of the most useful stuff and you have a wide range of companies to choose from too!
10. Urdu Bazaar
This is heaven for book lovers in Karachi. Every kind of book every imaginable is available in this market. Academic books, posters, stationary, novels, encyclopedias, dictionaries, past papers, solved paper - EVERYTHING! If you are a regular customer at one of the shops, the shop keeper will get you books from others shops too or will make sure to find the book you are looking for.
11. Mehboob Cloth Market and Paradise
Don’t want to spend lakhs of rupees on your shaadi ka lehnga? Visit this market with the design of your favourite lehnga, saari or whatever you want for your shaadi and they will make it for you. You can choose the colour, the design, the fabric - everything will be as per your choice. You can wear a designer look-a-like without spending even half of the original price.
12. Corporate Market
You can get your tuxedos, suits, sherwanis, pants and shirts stitched from this market. They have high quality fabric, and some amazing tailors. You will NOT be disappointed.
13. Kabardi Market
In this market, parts of cars (stolen cars) are sold at a low price along with other gadgets that people no longer use - so if you’re trying to build something cool, or have an intense science or physics project, this is where you will find things you could not even imagine exist.
14. Bhora pir
This market is famous for paints, iron goods, wood goods, wholesale hardware shops, fancy lights and different kinds of locks. Steel and iron merchandise galore! If you want to have something made with steel or iron, these are the people you would go to to help you out.
15. Sadar/Meena bazar/Jodia bazar:
You have some really famous shops for artificial and original jewellry in these markets. Gold, silver, platinum, diamonds - you will find all kinds of bling your heart may desire!
16. Zaibunnisa Shopping Street Saddar
You can find the best branded watches and their copies in this market. Gucci, Titan, Swatch, Rado, Seiko, Cartier, Tag Heuer - EVERY BRAND is available here. And at very reasonable prices. If yo explore a little deeper, you will also find some amazing deals on silver here.
17. Pakistan Chowk
Starting from Rs50 this place has the most beautiful wedding invitation cards available in the city! They have some ready-made cards and will make them to your order as well - and you will be surprised at how great the quality is and how inexpensive too!
18. Jama Cloth and Allah Wala Market
These markets have shops of readymade and un-stitched clothes. They also have tailors sitting right there who can stitch you whatever it is that you want and, if you’re nice enough, they might even give it to you in a couple of hours!
19. Light house or Landa Bazar
This is Sunday Bazar’s big brother - only it’s not elite. You will find the best of everything here. This is primarily a second-hand market that hosts leather bags, leather boots, jackets, coats, woolen sweaters, gowns, costumes - everything for the least amount of money! All you need to do is find the best shop for your own needs!
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