Cowboy in Kuala Lumpur shopping guide
There’s not much of the Wild West at Cowboy, but you’ll need to saddle up for a shopping experience here. This homegrown hypermarket chain recently opened an 8-storey store in Kuala Lumpur, and it is a tad overwhelming – in kind of a good way.
But brave the fluorescent lights, get past the infectious jingles over the speakers, and meet aisles of goods sold in bulk and at low prices at Malaysia’s very own bajet version of the US’s popular Costco.
So there’s no horsing around, we headed to Cowboy’s latest KL store in Sungai Besi to bring you this guide of what to buy there for a productive visit.
Table of Contents
First things first: know your bearings so you know how to navigate Cowboy’s largest store in KL yet.
The store occupies a whole building along Taman Sungai Besi, and is made up of 8 levels, basement levels included. Floors are categorised according to goods sold, so you can get right to filling your basket with what you’re looking for.
There are escalators within the store, and also lifts. But some floors, G1 and L5, are only accessible via stairs, so take note and put on your comfiest shoes.
What goods does Cowboy sell?
The sheer range of items is the highlight here. Picture a kedai runcit, hardware store, and wholesaler all rolled into one. It’s sort of like the now-defunct-in-Malaysia Makro, except there are budget stuff like plasticware and local sweets on the shelves.
What are the prices like at Cowboy?
The prices for products at Cowboy are comparable to other local hypermarkets and supermarkets. The kicker is that a lot of the items here are sold in bulk and have unit versus per-pack price tags, which means slightly lower prices if you’re getting a bunch of one product.
Breakdown of the levels
Here’s a quick breakdown of the levels and what goods you can find on which floor:
| Floor | Goods |
| Basement 1 & Basement 2 |
|
| Level G |
|
| Level G1 |
|
| Level 1 |
|
| Level 2 |
|
| Level 3 |
|
| Level 4 |
|
| Level 5 |
|
– Level G –
Cowboy’s main entrance on Level G opens to an aisle of cashiers and self-checkout kiosks. Find this area even busier than the basement levels, but don’t let it deter you from entering through here.
Launch yourself straight into the Malaysian version of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, as this floor is stocked with all sorts of nostalgic, colourful confections and snacks that’ll make you feel like a kid all over again.
Those with a serial sweet tooth can find sweets such as Fruit Plus and Torrone sold by the bulk in red-lid plastic containers, like at mamak restaurants – except you’ll be getting the whole jar here. No shame in that. These go for around RM20.
Other pantry staples like sauces, instant noodles, rice, and baking essentials are also on this floor. Prices for rice bags are slightly lower than at other supermarkets, so consider shopping for household brands such as Rambutan, SUMO, and Selaking here.
It’s not all food. A corner of Level G has electronics like air fryers, blenders, and toasters, as well as electrical accessories such as leaf blowers, speakers, and even Casio scientific calculators.
If you’ve been wanting to get rechargeable batteries for some time now, Cowboy has decently priced battery packs for RM49.90 to go with a pack of 4 rechargeable batteries for RM7.90. You’ll find this at an aisle just for batteries.
– Level G1 –
When you get to Level G1, you’ll have to park your trolley on Level G and head up on foot to explore what is essentially your ultimate party-planning section.
Snacks from Level G spill onto this floor. You’ve got Meow Meow crackers in bulk, and other chips sold in small, individual-sized packs. Both are great snacks for guests during parties.
Whether you’ve got a party, a business, or a cooking era that’s not over, tissues and disposable plasticware are stocked on this level, too.
Some worth-it items we spotted are nifty air-fryer parchment papers from RM3, and rows of plastic containers for all sorts of cookies from RM1.20.
Wedding decor supplies occupy the rest of this mezzanine-like floor, with everything from artificial flowers to paper gift bags sold in a wide variety of colours.
– Level 1 –
Once you manage to pluck yourself from Level G1, head back down to Level G and up the escalator to Level 1 – it’s a trip, but the fun continues here.
It might take a second to figure out where everything is on Level 1, as the range of items here is diverse. But here’s a quick tip: stationery, hair accessories, and personal care items are to the right of the escalators, while non-personal goods like gardening and hardware tools, paints, and hawker supplies are to the left.
The personal care goods aren’t extensive, but you’ll find soaps and shampoos from household names like Sunsilk, Antabax, Dettol, and Lux. The Colgate (RM8.95) and Darlie (RM6.95) toothpastes are some of the most worth-it items off this shelf, along with Rexona deodorant sprays, as you can get them cheaper here than at other supermarkets.
Some would say that the left area of Level 1 is for the husbands, but ditch the stereotypes and shop for a variety of items like ropes, wheels, screwdriver sets, garden leaf rake, and wooden sticks in varied widths and thicknesses for DIY projects.
This section also has household items to spruce up your home, such as toilet seat covers, kitchen sinks, self-adhesive marble tiles, and heavy-duty stands for fridges and washing machines.
– Level 2 –
Things get a little boringly grey on Level 2, but that’s only because it carries almost every kind of stainless steel cookware and kitchenware. We’re talking about pots that’ll hold food for a party of 10 to 100, and barbecue sets in different shapes and sizes to best suit your grilling habits.
The range goes on with the knives. Browse through an aisle dedicated to knives that cater to casual chopping and more hardcore butchering.
If you’ve got into cooking Korean food recently, look for the shelves just for Korean-style stainless steel bowls and pots to cook and hold your meals. Other speciality items on this floor are claypots (from RM8.95), which come in small and large sizes.
As for those who are constantly whipping up cookies and cakes from their kitchen, baking pans, mixing bowls, and moulds are just some of the baking goods available here.
– Level 3 –
There’s more colour a floor up, on Level 3, with tableware and drinkware dominating the racks here.
Everything from melamine ramen bowls and deep pasta plates to Malaysian Chinese wares with a distinctive red rooster, or cap ayam, can be found here. If you’ve been planning to switch out your kitchenware with anything you find here, you’ll find stacks of all kinds of plates sold on the floor – stock will not be an issue.
– Level 4 –
It’ll be a good time to take that camping trip plan out of the group chat. Level 4 has just about everything you need for a 5-star camping excursion that’ll rival those Coachella camping setups.
Find bigger ticket items like sturdy tents that can fit a blown-up mattress in them, as well as portable cookware and foldable tables and chairs to level up your camp experience.
Other items to find on this floor are baby essentials like prams, luggage, cushions and plushies, and toys and games that’ll make the kiddos squeal.
– Level 5 –
Last but not least – Level 5. If you’re not taking the lift up, you’ll have to ascend a flight of steps to this floor as there aren’t any escalators leading up to here. It gets a little chaotic here, as you’ll find everything from ironing boards to plastic bins of all sizes and shapes.
The pet supply selection is decent, but are mainly for cats. Beyond scratching cardboards and quirky pet beds, there are harder-to-find items like pet dryers (from RM688) and enclosed litter boxes (RM169).
Towards the back of the floor, there are more plasticware, including yellow trays for baked goods in different sizes and also stools. Figurine collectors will be thrilled to find dust-proof acrylic display cases (from RM16.90) with varying shelf levels.
An 8-storey bulk shopping haven in KL
Sure, you can find most things at Cowboy at your nearby hardware or grocery store. But if you want to skip the multiple trips and purchase goods in bulk, a trip to this massive hypermarket is worth considering.
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Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia