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Shopping in Kerala has its own charm. It reflects the craft and culture of the state in simple ways. Visitors will find spices, hand-made items, silk saris, gold ornaments, and modern malls too. The local bazaars are crowded with antiques and souvenirs, while state shops sell crafts made by artisans. Each place adds a small glimpse into Kerala’s history and traditions. The visitors get in direct contact with master craftsmen, witness age-old weaving and carving techniques, and carry home meaningful souvenirs. If you seek organic fruits and vegetables, coir products, or branded clothes, alternatives range from nostalgic.
10 Best Shopping In Kerala
Discover ten sizzling hotspots for Shopping in Kerala, offering spices, handloom fabrics, antiques, and souvenirs—perfect for shoppers, culture lovers, and souvenir hunters alike.
1. Jew Town
Photo: PRIYA DARSHAN / Shutterstock
One of Kerala’s most iconic shopping hubs, Jew Town in Kochi, is a veritable paradise for antique enthusiasts, history buffs, and culture vultures. This old quarter sits near the Paradesi Synagogue and has a timeless feel. Narrow cobbled streets are lined with shops that display rare and unusual items. Visitors often look for brass lamps, wooden carvings, antique furniture, old clocks, and coins that carry a piece of Kerala’s past. The state is also known for its spice shops. The smell of cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, and cloves takes you back to the long history of spice trading in Kerala.
Location: Kochi, Kerala
Main Attractions: Paradesi Synagogue, Antique shops, Spice shops, Narrow cobbled streets
Suggested Read: Things To Do In Kochi
2. Lulu Mall
Photo: Tuur Tisseghem / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
For visitors on the lookout for a luxurious mall for shopping in Kerala, Lulu Mall at Kochi is the place to visit. It is one of the largest malls in India, and it has now combined the shopping, entertainment, and recreation pursuits under one mammoth edifice. As it accommodates more than 200 stores, it has something for all consumers, ranging from international fashion brands and electronics to jewellery, lifestyle accessories, and stylish home furnishings. Families also frequent the mall the most due to its super-modern facilities like a multiplex cinema hall, bowling lanes, game areas, and massive play areas for children.
Location: Kochi, Kerala
Main Attractions: Over 200 international and local stores, Multiplex cinema, Bowling alley, Children’s play zone
3. SM Street
Photo: Vivek / Unsplash / Image For Representation Only
SM Street or Sweet Meat Street is one of the oldest and most popular shopping malls in Kerala, located in Kozhikode. The old marketplace of this region is one of the busiest business places that has been inhabited by local people and visitors. The street is best known for its handloom, which has soft sarees and cloth at reasonable costs. Sweet hounds need to relish the traditional Kozhikode halwa in vibrant colours and flavour, which brought the street global fame. Apart from clothing and sweets, SM Street also has small shops filled with handicrafts, shoes, souvenirs, and home items.
Location: Kozhikode, Kerala
Main Attractions: Handloom sarees and fabrics, Kozhikode halwa, Handicraft shops, Souvenirs, Local sweets
Suggested Read: Hill Stations Near Kozhikode For Your Next South India Vacation
4. Broadway
Photo: Jason Leung / Unsplash / Image For Representation Only
The Ernakulam Broadway is the state’s most classic and vibrant Kerala shopping complex, in action seven days a week. Except for its name, the streets here are extremely narrow but have an apparently endless number of shops offering an unimaginable variety of goods. From dazzling apparel, footwear, and accessories to spices, electronics, cosmetics, and souvenirs, the variety is so huge that Broadway is a favourite among residents as well as tourists. It is the cut-rate prices that attract most customers here, since bartering is not only permissible but de rigueur, and thus ideal to visit for consumers on the lookout for bargains.
Location: Ernakulam, Kerala
Main Attractions: Apparel and footwear shops, Spices and cosmetics, Electronics, Bargain shopping and street market experience
5. Connemara Market
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For an authentic Kerala shopping experience, head over to the Connemara Market in Thiruvananthapuram. One of the city’s oldest and most frequented markets, it features a range of products that best capture Kerala’s day-to-day life and culture. From the recently harvested vegetables, fruits, and fish to coir products, handmade baskets, domestic goods, and gorgeous handicrafts, anything and everything can be spotted there. The visitor’s choice is the spice shops, whose aroma is full of fragrant cardamom, pepper and cloves, offering an actual taste of Kerala cuisine. It is more a question of getting oneself submerged in the lively atmosphere, with smiling vendors greeting each other and haggling as much fun as purchasing.
Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Main Attractions: Fresh fruits and vegetables, Coir products, Handmade baskets, Spice shops, Handicrafts
Suggested Read: Go Street Shopping In Kochi And Escape To Retail Paradise In Kerala
6. Kerala Handicrafts Emporium
Photo: Diego F. Parra / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
Kerala Handicrafts Emporium in Thiruvananthapuram is a government-run centre committed to showcasing the state’s finest traditional craft. For the visitor who wants to witness true shopping in Kerala, this emporium is the destination of choice, where one can discover what delightful handicrafts local artisans have worked on. From hand-carved wooden furniture pieces and rosewood figurines to brass lighting, coir matting, and Kathakali masks, each one of them reflects Kerala’s cultural heritage. The emporium also has upscale materials, including kasavu sarees, hand-spun and embroidered items, which become an etched remembrance as mementoes.
Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Main Attractions: Hand-carved wooden furniture, Rosewood figurines, Brass lamps, Kathakali masks, Kasavu sarees
7. Chalai Market
Photo: Mohammad Ali Pashm Foroush / Unsplash / Image For Representation Only
Chalai Market in Thiruvananthapuram is among the liveliest and oldest shopping destinations in Kerala, offering a colourful range of products at reasonable prices. Spanning half a kilometre in length, the market has dozens of shops selling textiles, home appliances, spices, fruits, vegetables, jewellery, and shoes. It is particularly renowned for being very cheap and eclectic, and as such, it is a place everyone, native and foreign, needs to visit in search of real bargains. The marketplace is founded on the vibrant environment that accompanies haggling, which is not merely a ritual but also a mode of shopping.
Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Main Attractions: Textiles, Home appliances, Spices, Fruits and vegetables, Jewellery, Bargain shopping
Suggested Read: Shopping In Trivandrum
8. Mattancherry Spice Market
Photo: LSR2015 / Pixabay / Image For Representation Only
Mattancherry Spice Market in Kochi is Kerala’s most sought-after shopping attraction, a hallmark of the state’s spice trade legacy across the globe. Its streets greet the visitors with the strong scent of cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and turmeric, beautifully stacked up in burlap bags and cauldrons. Shopping there is a mini experience, visiting the market is an experience that transports you to the history of Kerala’s commerce with Arabs, Chinese, and Europeans. Tourists can purchase quality spices, tea, essential oils, and herbal products at discounted prices. Owners are also kind and will likely give a hint on how to use the spices when cooking or for medicinal purposes.
Location: Kochi, Kerala
Main Attractions: Wide variety of spices (cardamom, pepper, cinnamon), Tea, Essential oils, Herbal products
9. Kasaragod Coir Centres
Photo: Mingche Lee / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
For others who would like to witness actual handicrafts being manufactured, the Kasaragod Coir Centres offer a novel shopping experience in Kerala. Highly acclaimed for their eco-friendly coir goods, the centres place in the foreground the artistry and craftsmanship of local handicraftsmen. The spectator can witness the intriguing process of coconut husk being transformed into durable ropes, mats, carpets, and domestic furnishing material, which is not only convenient but also eco-friendly. Surfing in this context doesn’t involve shopping for goods; it involves shopping for Kerala’s traditional industry and taking home items that speak of living.
Location: Kasaragod, Kerala
Main Attractions: Eco-friendly coir products, Demonstration of coir processing, Handmade ropes, Mats, Carpets
Suggested Read: Best Places To Visit In Kasaragod For Your Next South India Trip
10. Spice Route Collective
Photo: Alexandra Lande / Shutterstock / Image For Representation Only
Spice Route Collective in Kochi is a high-end shopping Kerala experience, which elegantly combines heritage with modern design. Contrary to the madness of the local bazaars, the experience presents a thoughtful choice of products ranging from spices of superior quality and organic tea to handloom jewellery, weaves, and quirky decorative items. The product is extremely curated so that it speaks of Kerala’s craftsmanship, a heaven for culture enthusiasts and a discerning shopper as well. What sets the Spice Route Collective apart from other places is quality and tales, there are primarily locally produced items from handcrafted artists here, which bring tradition together with current vogue.
Location: Kochi, Kerala
Main Attractions: Premium quality spices and organic teas, Handloom jewellery, Handcrafted decorative items, Curated artisan products
Shopping in Kerala is a vibrant journey through the state’s rich heritage, tradition, and craftsmanship. From bustling spice markets filled with cardamom and pepper to bazaars offering handloom sarees, antiques, and coir products, every experience reflects Kerala’s cultural essence. It’s not just about goods, but the people and their stories. Whether you’re a culture lover, foodie, or souvenir hunter, Kerala has it all. Plan your shopping adventure with TripXL today!
Cover Photo: Wendy Wei / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
