Thread: Costco or Sams Club in Panama City

My husband and I are seriously thinking of purchasing an unfurnished condo for a vacation home. However, we have no idea where to buy everything from toilet paper to dishes to furniture.

Is there a discount outlet in the city like the ones I mentioned above? Where do you buy furniture for a vacation type home? Is it cheaper to buy appliances here, and ship them over, along with other items?

Thanks for the advice!

Vicki

Hello. Go to the albrook mall, you will find everything you need there. For warehouse retail shopping......pricemart (costco style store) is your best bet.

links
Albrook Mall - Albrook Mall Panamá - Compras, Tiendas, Cines, Restaurantes, Belleza
Pricesmart - PriceSmart.com: Clubes de compras por membresÃ*a


regards

i am sorry but this question is just screaming to be asked . have you ever been to panama? from the sound of your post you have never been here . yet you say you are seriously thinking of moving here . you can not believe everything you read on the net about real estate and other such matters .your feet have to be on the ground here . a lot of stuff is said on real estate forums are painted with rose coloured glasses. panama is a good country full of great people but it is not like the USA or canada .it is third world or at least 1st world latin america .just about everyday you can find household belongings on the net here for sale , i i think some of it is from people that came here on what they have read and not spending enough time here ,traveling around and seeing what it is all about .. come spend a couple of months here , travel the country , check the areas that interest you , hang with the locals ,shop at the local stores . if i am wrong about you ever being here i am sorry ,but from your post ,it says you have been reading but not visiting ..i my mind it is a great country ,but things happen real slow here , for example it took 9 months to get power run to my little acerage ,6 power poles and 250 meters oif wire , and there is no sence in getting excited with the power company ,it does not help . .but welcome to panama

Nakedguydb That was a good over-all senerio of Panama . Well Put! Too bad everbody isn't like that .The world would be alot better and save people alot of money
Mike

Thank you for your concern. Yes, we have been to Panama twice, once for a week last year, and this past February for 2 weeks. We will be returning in September - and my post states that we are looking for a VACATION home - I did not write "I am seriously thinking of moving here". Yes, we would eventually like to retire in Panama, but not now.

Also, I do not understand where you read: "but from your post ,it says you have been reading but not visiting." No where in my post did I write anything near to that statement.

As for where to find stores, I dont go to malls or shopping when I am in a new country. I rent a car, and drive, exploring. This is why I have no idea where to buy items.

I dont mean to sound rude, and I do appreciate everyones concern, however, you have misquoted my post - perhaps you mixed mine up with someone else?

Also, we have a wonderful agent, who is not only looking out for OUR best interest (she has told me many times NO to real estate I am interested in), but she is also our friend.

As far as Panama being a "3rd world country", we do not consider it as such. My husband is from El Salvador,and we have travelled extensively not only through his home country, but through Mexico (NOT the resorts). Believe me, Panama is NOT a third world country by any means.

I think nude was just trying to be nice to you an save you from bad things .
I personally have been there (panama) for a couple months an I think it is a third world country .Especally compared to the States .
Why would you come down on someone that tries to help
Mike

Again, I was not "coming down" on his comments. I said I appreciated his concern, but I did not make the comments in my original message that he stated.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I know Panama is NOT the USA - that is why I love it, however, my husband and I do not consider it a third world country.

Thanks for your input!

O-kay

If you plan to retire in Panama and have a pension coming already you should take care of the immigration stuff first.

Once you have the pensionado visa you can bring a container up to 10k with all your stuff tax free. You can also bring your car tax free, which I recommend. This also comes with a lot of other discount, such as 50 % off hotels Mon-Thurs if I remember correctly. Flights with COPA should also be 25 % off. Discounts on electric bill and restaurants.

Things that may require repairs I would buy locally, but dump as much as you can into the container.

This could save you a few tens of thousands of dollars (esp if expensive car).

In this process, you will most likely learn that you have found yourself in a third world country with a beuraucracy and administration enough chaotic to create serious heart conditions and possibly a hint of insanity.

Best wishes, Ed
PANAMA BANK GUIDE - LIST OF BANKS IN PANAMA

Originally Posted by vicki

Again, I was not "coming down" on his comments. I said I appreciated his concern, but I did not make the comments in my original message that he stated.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I know Panama is NOT the USA - that is why I love it, however, my husband and I do not consider it a third world country.

Thanks for your input!

Thanks Ed I sure learned from your input myself .I'm supposed to finalize my pensionado in Nov. Sometimes I have reservations though. I'm not sure I want to do this .If I was single it would probably be easier .


My big question would be ,what is there to do for my wife and myself to do .
Mike

Then you should immediately buy a car (station wagon) in California or Arizona. After that you simply start driving south until you hit Panama as further travels are hindered by a massive jungle and FARC guerilla.

It was a nice drive with lots of things to see on the way.

Then you can import the car into Panama tax free when you get the pensionado. No shipping to pay.

Free roadtrip!!!

After 2 years you can sell the car and do it all over again.

Let me know if you need more info on this topic.

Best wishes, Ed
PANAMA BANK GUIDE - LIST OF BANKS IN PANAMA

Originally Posted by yaya

Thanks Ed I sure learned from your input myself .I'm supposed to finalize my pensionado in Nov. Sometimes I have reservations though. I'm not sure I want to do this .If I was single it would probably be easier .

My big question would be ,what is there to do for my wife and myself to do .
Mike

vicki . it is a bit of a misunderstanding , if you step back and read your post as a person who did not write it , you might understand what i was saying . but when i read it and you say you do not know where to buy toilet paper and dishes ,it just screams that you have never been here .and that statement was my interruption that you have been reading and not visiting panama .in my mind (and it is not always right) i think that when people come with the thought of moving here it is a different mindset than one when he is on holidays .i myself went out to see what was for sale in the stores and what i should bring from canada when i drove down . i am really just trying to help , as it does no good for someone to come and then hate panama , it makes the rest of us look bad when someone makes waves in the counrty because ,for example , they dont speak english everywhere , so if i say it loader then they have to understand . and i have seen that done . and you will also see in my post that i said 1st world latin america .. if i do not say 3rd world first some people do not understand what i am trying to say . to me haiti is 3 rd world ,this is not , now about what ed said about bringing a car tax free , it is not tax free ,it is tax defered , and if you ever sell it someone ,you or the new buyer has to pay that tax ,unless you sell it to another person on the pension visa . also be sure you can get parts here , an for example a friend has a chevy suburban that he has to wait for a back window from the states , and another that has a toyota pickup ,tocoma , that was imported and he has to order everything from the states ,so if you go that way make sure the model of car is sold here ,not just the make . and again welcome to heaven

---------- Post added at 10:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------

yaya , that is a tough one , if you and your wife are city people ,you can go to the 3 malls and when you get tired of that you can watch the buses drive by . hahaha .if you like the country then there a a million things to do . sorry i just had to say that . i have wondered the same thing since i moved here , what do the people in the city do ,day after day ? i bought a little chunk of land and am trying to build a house , cut grass ,plant flowers ,go to the beach , explore the area , and chase pretty panamaian ladies , so my plate is full everyday . and you two will just have to do whatever blows your hair back ,but it is a good country ,full of great people .

Thanks for the info Naked .Chasing women, I'll bet thats fun .Ya, I cought mine along time ago .They say the chase is the fun part .
Panamain women are pretty.
Mike

How i will come to panama ,first is that i love to opening of hsbc bank account online now how to do that okay