If you are travelling through Panama and suddenly discover that your phone has decided to develop a mysterious problem, your laptop charger has disappeared, your headphones have died, or you simply decide that you absolutely need a new pair of headphones while on vacation, you are actually in a pretty good country for electronics shopping. Panama has a surprisingly large retail market for technology, and especially in Panama City, you can find everything from inexpensive accessories and Android phones to expensive laptops, cameras, televisions, gaming equipment and major appliances.
The interesting thing about shopping for electronics in Panama is that there isn't really one store that does absolutely everything. Different stores have developed their own personalities and strengths. Some are heavily focused on technology and computers, some are better for televisions and appliances, and others are more of a giant everything for your house type of store. Three names you will see again and again are Panafoto, Multimax and Rodelag, and they are probably the three most useful names for a traveller to know.
Panafoto
Panafoto is one of the big names in Panamanian electronics and has been around for decades. It is a broad electronics and appliance retailer with products ranging from televisions and audio equipment to laptops, phones, cameras, drones, gaming equipment and household appliances.
For a traveller, Panafoto is particularly interesting because it feels like a traditional electronics superstore rather than a tiny specialist computer shop. You can walk in looking for something as simple as a charging cable and end up surrounded by televisions, headphones, cameras, phones, gaming equipment, computers, refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners.
It is also one of the places worth checking if you are looking for a phone. Panafoto sells both Android devices and iPhones, along with tablets, smartwatches and accessories. If you are travelling around Panama and your phone suddenly gives up on life, this is one of the first large stores worth investigating.
Another advantage is that large established retailers generally make it easier to deal with warranties and repairs than buying expensive electronics from some random little shop. For something expensive such as a laptop, camera or phone, that can be important.
Panafoto has several locations around Panama City and other parts of the country, making it one of the easier names to remember.
Multimax
Multimax has a slightly different personality. If Panafoto feels like a broad electronics and appliance department store, Multimax has a particularly strong identity around technology, computers and consumer electronics.
Multimax carries laptops, printers, routers, networking equipment, gaming consoles, games, televisions, phones, air conditioners, appliances and plenty of accessories. It also carries major international brands, including Apple, Samsung, Sony, LG, HP, Dell and Lenovo.
That makes Multimax particularly useful if your shopping list looks something like this:
"I need a laptop, mouse, keyboard, hard drive, headphones, monitor and maybe a PlayStation."
That is very much Multimax territory.
It is also worth checking if you are a gamer. Gaming laptops, consoles, games, accessories and computer equipment are a significant part of the shopping experience there.
Multimax has locations around Panama City and also outside the capital, including in Chiriquí. That makes it useful for travellers who have already left Panama City and are heading toward the mountains or beaches.
Rodelag
Rodelag is an interesting one because it isn't simply an electronics store. It is more like electronics plus appliances plus home improvement plus household shopping all rolled into one.
Rodelag has been operating in Panama for many decades and sells everything from televisions, computers and phones to refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, microwaves, furniture and other household products.
This makes Rodelag especially useful if you are actually living in Panama rather than simply passing through.
If you are a backpacker who needs an iPhone charger, you might find what you need there. But if you have just rented an apartment and suddenly realize it contains absolutely nothing except four walls and an electrical outlet, Rodelag becomes considerably more interesting.
Need a refrigerator? Rodelag.
Need an air conditioner? Rodelag.
Need a washing machine? Rodelag.
Need a television? Rodelag.
Need a laptop? Rodelag.
Need a phone? Rodelag.
Need a blender because you have somehow decided to become a smoothie person?
Also Rodelag.
Rodelag has branches in different parts of Panama, including David, which makes it a name worth remembering for anyone travelling through Chiriquí.
Do It Center
Do It Center is another name worth knowing, although it is more strongly associated with home improvement and hardware than pure electronics.
However, it carries plenty of electrical equipment, appliances, lighting, air conditioning products and household technology.
It is especially useful when your problem isn't "I need a new iPhone" but rather "I need to fix something."
If you are staying in Panama for a while, renovating a property, setting up a hostel, building something or simply trying to repair a tropical house that has decided to fight back, Do It Center becomes considerably more interesting than it might initially appear.
Raenco
Raenco is another established Panamanian retailer worth checking, particularly for home appliances, televisions and household electronics.
It tends to appeal more to someone furnishing or upgrading a home than to a backpacker looking for a replacement charging cable. But if you are staying in Panama for months or buying equipment for an apartment, it is worth comparing prices rather than automatically assuming the first large retailer has the best deal.
Smaller specialist stores
One of the nice things about Panama City is that you are not restricted to the big three. There are numerous smaller computer shops, photography stores, phone retailers and specialist technology businesses scattered around the city.
For photography equipment in particular, specialist stores can sometimes make more sense than the giant department stores. The same goes for professional computer equipment, networking equipment and unusual accessories.
There is also a huge difference between buying a normal consumer product and trying to find something very specific.
Finding an HDMI cable is easy.
Finding a particular camera lens at exactly the right price is another story.
Finding a replacement battery for some obscure laptop model can become a small adventure of its own.
What about Apple products?
If you specifically want Apple, you will find Apple products through several major retailers rather than having to rely exclusively on one store. Multimax, Panafoto and Rodelag all carry Apple products.
This is useful because you can compare prices between retailers instead of assuming that every retailer will charge exactly the same amount.
And Panama is one of those countries where it pays to look at the actual final price, not just the giant "SALE" sign hanging above the product.
A television might be advertised at a certain price but have a different price depending on the financing arrangement. A phone might be discounted during a promotion. A store may offer installments through a bank or other financing arrangements.
Buying electronics in Panama as a traveller
If you are travelling around Panama, the biggest advantage of these large stores is that you don't necessarily need to understand the entire Panamanian electronics market.
If your phone breaks, you can go to a major retailer and ask what they have.
If your headphones disappear somewhere between Bocas del Toro and Boquete, you can replace them.
If your laptop charger dies at the worst possible moment, you can start looking for a replacement.
If you discover that your backpack somehow contains three T shirts, two pairs of socks and absolutely no power adapter, Panama has you covered.
The bigger stores also make it much easier to compare products in person. You can physically look at different televisions, laptops, phones, headphones and cameras instead of buying something blindly from an unknown seller.
Don't forget about the interior
One misconception travellers sometimes have is that you have to return to Panama City every time you need something electronic.
You obviously get the greatest selection in Panama City, but major retailers also operate outside the capital. Rodelag has a branch in David, and Multimax also operates in Chiriquí.
That is particularly useful for people travelling the Panama backpacker route.
If you are heading from Panama City toward Santa Catalina, Boquete, David, Bocas del Toro or the mountains of Chiriquí, David can be an important place to stock up before disappearing into more remote areas.
And if you are staying around Boquete or David, you don't necessarily need to make a special trip back to Panama City just because your phone charger has decided to retire.
Compare prices before buying
The biggest mistake with electronics anywhere in the world is assuming that the first store you walk into has the best price.
Panama has enough major retailers that comparison shopping is possible. Check Panafoto. Check Multimax. Check Rodelag. Check specialist stores if it is an unusual product. Then look at the warranty, exactly what is included and whether the product is actually in stock.
This is especially important with expensive products such as laptops, cameras, phones and televisions.
There is also a difference between cheap and good value. A slightly cheaper laptop with poor specifications may actually be a worse purchase than spending a little more on something that will last several years.
The same applies to phones. Panama has a huge Android market, so there are plenty of choices across different price levels. You don't necessarily have to spend iPhone money to get a very capable phone.
So which electronics store should you visit?
Rather than thinking of one store as the universal winner, it makes more sense to think about what you are shopping for.
Panafoto is a broad all around electronics destination with phones, computers, televisions, cameras, audio equipment, gaming products and appliances.
Multimax is particularly interesting for computers, technology, gaming, phones and office equipment, while also carrying televisions, appliances and other household technology.
Rodelag is especially useful when electronics overlap with the rest of your home. It has a huge selection of appliances, air conditioners, televisions, computers, phones and household products.
Do It Center becomes more interesting when your electronic problem is connected to construction, electrical work, tools, home improvement or installation.
Raenco is another option worth checking for appliances, televisions and household electronics.
Specialist shops are worth investigating when you need photography equipment, professional computer equipment or something unusual that the big chains may not have.
And there is one final reason Panama is surprisingly convenient for electronics: you don't have to spend your entire vacation wandering around looking for one particular store. In Panama City, the major shopping malls and commercial districts put many of these retailers within relatively easy reach of each other.
For a traveller, that means a broken phone, missing charger or dying pair of headphones can usually become a shopping trip rather than a vacation ending disaster.
And if you are travelling through Chiriquí, David is the place to remember. Once you leave the capital and start heading toward the mountains, beaches and jungle, your electronics choices naturally become more limited. So if you are heading toward places like Boquete, Bocas del Toro or the more remote areas around the Fortuna Forest Reserve, it can make sense to take care of your serious electronics shopping before you disappear into the jungle.