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10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]
10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2024]

© SamoaPocketGuide.com

Where to Buy Gifts and Souvenirs in Samoa

You might know some of the amazing handicrafts and apparel coming out of Samoa – if you don’t just have a browse through the 10 Best Souvenirs from Samoa. Now, where can you actually buy some of these incredible souvenirs? From the mom-and-pop gift shops and art galleries selling handcrafted souvenirs to the Samoan fashion stores where you can watch apparel being hand-printed on-site, this guide to souvenir shopping in Samoa will show you the best places to buy gifts and souvenirs in Samoa.

1. Fugalei Market (Marketi Fou)

Samoa’s largest market is a must-do for all things Samoa! Food is only part of the Fugalei Market experience as you wind your way through vibrant displays of tropical fruit and vegetables displayed in traditionally woven baskets and stumble upon vendors selling classic Samoan meals like palusami and fai’ai elegi (see 20 Foods to Try in Samoa). Get into the centre of this large undercover venue and you’ll find rows and rows of stalls selling all kinds of handicrafts, from coconut jewellery to handprinted lavalava (sarongs) to carved ‘ava (kava) bowls. Have a wander and mingle at “Marketi Fou”; if not for the shopping, at least for the cultural experience.

Opening hours: 6 am to 6 pm Monday to Saturday.
Location: Accessible along Fugalei Street and Saleufi Street, Fugalei, Apia.

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© SamoaPocketGuide.com

2. Pacific Jewell Gift Shop & Garden Cafe

For a more upscale experience of a Samoan handicraft market, you might want to check out the Pacific Jewell Gift Shop. On the outskirts of Apia, this treasure trove specialises in quality handicrafts from around 20 different local families, as well as hand-block printed apparel made in-house! You’ll find much of the handicrafts that you’ll find at the markets but made to the highest standards using all-natural dies of wooden carvings, for instance, rather than synthetics. You’ll also find both traditional ornaments to classical designs cleverly applied to modern-day houseware, jewellery, apparel and more. Thank goodness there’s a cafe here too to refuel after this shopping experience! More details on the Garden Cafe can be found in the 10 Best Cafes in Samoa.

Opening hours: 7:30 am to 3 pm Monday to Friday and until 2 pm on Saturday.
Location: Levili Boulavard, Levili, Apia.

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© SamoaPocketGuide.com

3. Janet’s Samoa

One of the biggest names in apparel and handicrafts in Samoa, Janet’s has been selling Samoan and Pacific clothing, jewellery, arts, crafts and body care products since 1989. Although they have small gift shops at some of Samoa’s largest resorts, we highly recommend visiting their main store in the heart of Apia. All of their products are either made in-house or in partnership with Samaon and Pacific artists. While popular with locals, some of the most enticing items for travellers are their Galau & Ali shirts, handcrafted earrings and coconut oil soaps.

Opening hours: 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and 8:30 am to 1 pm on Saturday.
Location: Level 2, Lotemau Mall, Vaea Street, Apia.

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© SamoaPocketGuide.com

4. Mailelani Samoa Body Care

Admittedly, it’s not difficult to find Samoa’s favourite natural skincare brand in gift stores, spas and pharmacies across the islands but the Mailelani Samoa Body Care gift shop is well worth the quick venture to sample the whole range of virgin coconut oil, beeswax, koko butter and turmeric soaps, lotions and oils. The small gift shop offers samplers and refill stations, as well as the whole range of products and gift sets to buy.

Opening hours: 9 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday and 8:30 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday.
Location: Signposted off the Cross Island Road, Papauta, Apia.

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© SamoaPocketGuide.com

5. Eveni Carruthers

Boasting prime retail space is multi-storey blue buildings in Apia, Salelologa and Faleolo International Airport, the majesty of Eveni Carruthers could well be justified as one of the most successful traders on the islands for almost a century. Their main offering is hand-block-printed apparel for men, women and children, ideal for getting that island look, while the stores also specialise in sportswear and school uniforms.

Opening hours: 8:30 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and 8 am to 2 pm on Saturday.
Location: Eveni Carruthers Building, Matafele, Beach Road, Apia. Eveni Carruthers Building, 3 Corner Traffic Lights, Salelologa, Savai’i. Faleolo International Airport (Departures Lounge).

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© SamoaPocketGuide.com

6. Tanoa Samoa

More Samoan apparel can be browsed, appreciated and jumped on your back at Tanoa Samoa. Watch the tailors at work and shop for a range of hand-block clothing, as well as modern T-shirts, baseball caps and sports-inspired designs. Choose from a wide range of styles and looks that are all quintessentially yet stylishly from the islands.

Opening hours: 8:30 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and 8:30 am to 1 pm on Saturday.
Location: Mulinuu Road (next to The Mall), Apia.

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© SamoaPocketGuide.com

7. Plantation House

The traditional art of hand-block printing is the aim of the game at this gift and textiles store in Apia. Treat yourself to lavalava, purses, throw pillows and homeware that’s been specially printed to evoke the colours and charm of Samoa. Plantation House prints its own textiles in-house, and you can ask to see how they are made if the store is not too busy. There are much more tidbits to sift through, between jewellery and soap, so take a look and get some real retail therapy.

Opening hours: 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and 9 am to 1 pm on Saturday.
Location: Corner of Maugafolau and Lotopa Roads, Alafua, Apia.

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© Samoa Tourism Authority

8. Salelologa Market

For some souvenir shopping on Savai’i, you can hardly do better than the Salelologa Market. The island’s answer to the Fugalei Market, Salelologa Market is in an equally impressive venue but tends to have way fewer stalls to reflect the island’s much lower population. Nevertheless, the market is well worth perusing the wonderous array of locally crafted carvings, woven bags and fans, handprinted lavalava, coconut jewellery and much more. A sight easy to visit straight off the ferry, Salelologa Market also hosts fruit sellers with their mounds of pineapples, bananas, taro, coconuts, breadfruit, pumpkins and the list goes on. For more markets to discover across the islands, take a look at the 8 Best Markets in Samoa.

Opening hours: From 7 am (all day) Monday to Saturday.
Location: Savai’i. Salelologa in the commercial centre to the south of town – turn left off the ferry then right past Lusia’s Lagoon Chalets.

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© SamoaPocketGuide.com

9. The Vanya Taule’alo Gallery

When she’s not adding a splash of colour to the SWAG Market (Samoa Women’s Association of Growers) on a Saturday in Central Apia (another great place to buy souvenirs in Samoa, FYI), Vanya Taule’alo showcases her work at The Vanya Taule’alo Gallery in the suburban village of Taumeasina. Not just the artist’s gallery but also displaying works from selected artists from across Samoa and the Pacific, the neat gallery boasts gorgeous Pacific jewellery, artwork and handcrafted carvings, woven goods and siapo (tapa). We love her bags woven with recycled materials.

Opening hours: 8 am to 3 pm, Monday to Saturday.
Location: Taumeasina Road, east side of Apia.

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© SamoaPocketGuide.com

10. Savalalo Flea Market

Another popular indoor market in Apia, Savalalo Flea Market is your go-to for all those unique Samoan handicrafts. Browse intricately carved wooden ornaments, woven pandanus mats, beautifully printed lavalava, colourful shirts, both traditional and contemporary jewellery designs, kilikiti (Samoan cricket) bats and much more. It won’t take you as long as the Fugalei Market to wander through, but it’s worth a venture nonetheless.

Opening hours: 6 am to 6 pm Monday to Saturday.
Location: Accessible from Mulinuu Road where it intersects with Fugalei Street or from the waterfront road opposite the Savalalo Bus Station and Fish Market.

10 Best Shops to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa 👜 [2023]© SamoaPocketGuide.com

More on the Best Places to Buy Souvenirs in Samoa

Now that you know where to buy souvenirs in Samoa here’s more advice to help you have the best shopping experience while visiting the islands:

Finally, add more activities beyond shopping to the bucket list using the 101 Best Things to Do in Samoa: The Ultimate List. Plus, work out all the logistics of planning a Samoa getaway in The Best Samoa Travel Guide.

Sources:

The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across Samoa and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:

Our editorial standards: At Samoa Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.

Author

Laura S.

This article was reviewed and published by Laura, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Samoa Pocket Guide. Since arriving solo in the South Pacific over 10 years ago with nothing but a backpack and a background in journalism, her mission has been to show the world how easy (and awesome) it is to explore a paradise such as Samoa. She knows the islands inside out and loves sharing tips on how best to experience Upolu and Savai’i’s must-dos and hidden gems. Laura is also the editor of several other South Pacific travel guides.

Contact Laura via our contact page

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