Just as we are happily grabbing all those irresistible discounts and promotions, let's check what records "shopping" holds in the country.

The Malaysia Book of Records 10th Anniversary Edition has a few entries under its shopping category.

The Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur holds the record as the largest shopping mall with 1,052 sq kms of retail space for 916 individual shops and retail anchors, 65 food outlets, a 56-lane bowling alley, a nine-screen cinema complex, two department stores, a theme park and a IMAX 3D theatre spread over 12 floors.

It also houses Borders Bookstore, the country's biggest bookstore, occupying 18,288 sq metres and displaying over 200,000 titles.

Another shopping mall mentioned in the book is one of Kuala Lumpur's oldest malls, Sungei Wang Plaza, the first shopping centre to receive the ISO 9001: 2000 certification by SGS Yarsley International Certification Services in December, 2001.

Pasaraya The Store, owned by The Store Corporation Berhad, holds two records - the oldest and the largest supermarket-cum-departmental store and chain.

Its first outlet was set up in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, in November 1968, under the name Bukit Mertajam Supermarket.

Over the years, more outlets were opened in various States in the peninsula. Today, it has 75 outlets. Another store, homegrown company England Optical Group, holds the record for the largest optical store chain in the country with 150 outlets nationwide, and outlets in Cambodia and China. Its first outlet opened in Sungei Wang Plaza in Kuala Lumpur in 1979.

Ikea Damansara, located in Mutiara Damansara, is the biggest home furnishing store with an area of 35,811 sq metres of home furnishing solutions and 7,000 home furnishing products.

The bright yellow-and-blue building also houses a Swedish restaurant, play area for children, a cafe and a huge parking area with 2,000 bays.

Other record holders are Sinma Jewellery Centre as the largest costume jewellery retail chain, Hai-O Raya Berhad as the largest herbs and healthcare retail chain, Modern Mum as the largest maternity boutique chain, Comma as the largest ladies fashion chain store and Poh Kong as the largest jewellery retail chain.