Why finding everyday items in Malta can be so difficult
Living in Malta has many advantages. The sea is always close, the weather is great most of the year, and everything feels familiar. But if you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve probably run into a very specific and very common problem: finding the things you actually need can be surprisingly hard. From small household items to niche accessories, Malta’s size comes with limitations. Many people here have turned to online platforms like TEMU not because they want to shop online, but because they often don’t have a choice.
A small island means limited choice
Malta is a small island with a small market. This affects local shops more than people realize.
Retailers can’t stock everything. They have to choose products that sell fast and appeal to many people. If something is too specific, too niche, or not in constant demand, it usually doesn’t make it onto shelves. This is why so many people in Malta have experienced things like:
- Visiting multiple shops for one small item and still not finding it
- Being told “we don’t stock that” or “we can order it for you”
- Settling for a similar product because the exact one isn’t available
Sometimes it’s not about luxury items at all. It’s the little things: a cable, a storage solution, a phone accessory, a kitchen gadget, or something very specific for your home.
Imports take time (and cost more)
Almost everything in Malta is imported. That alone increases prices.
Shipping costs, customs handling, limited competition, and small order quantities all add up. This is why the same product can cost noticeably more in Malta than in mainland Europe.
Even when shops do bring items in, restocking can take weeks. If something sells out, you might have to wait a long time or never see it again.
For people used to the variety and pricing of larger European countries, this can be frustrating.
Online shopping became a necessity, not a luxury
Over the years, many people in Malta turned to online shopping to fill these gaps. It’s no longer about convenience. It’s about access.
Online platforms allow people to find items that don’t exist locally, compare prices more easily, avoid going from shop to shop and/or discover practical solutions they didn’t know existed
Recently, platforms like TEMU have become popular with shoppers in Malta, and it’s easy to see why. Instead of focusing on big-ticket items, TEMU offers a huge range of small, practical products. Things that are often hard or impossible to find locally suddenly become available in one place.
You can use it to find:
- Home organisation items
- Phone and tech accessories
- DIY and tool add-ons
- Storage, kitchen, and cleaning solutions
- Small replacements that local shops don’t carry
It’s not about replacing local businesses. It’s about filling the gaps that naturally exist on a small island.
A different way of shopping
What makes TEMU useful for Malta is not just price, but variety. You don’t need to know exactly where to look or which shop might have what you need. You search once and see dozens of options. This saves time, fuel, and frustration.
For many people, it has become the go-to solution when local shops don’t have the item, the price locally feels too high, or ordering from Europe feels complicated or slow.
Local shops will always be important, especially for essentials and immediate needs. But when it comes to those small, specific, everyday items that are hard to find, online platforms have made life easier. For many households, TEMU has simply become another tool — a way to access products that a small island can’t always provide.
