Category: Shopping

I’m planning to go camping next week and need to pick up some new gear to add to what I already have. Even though next week’s trip is in the desert, I’m also hoping to camp in Saudi this year and maybe Failaka, where the image on top was taken by @diam89. There isn’t much time to order anything from Amazon for next week, but thankfully we do have a lot of local options.

Most of the brands sold in Kuwait lean more toward the budget end, but my favorite outdoor brand is Nemo Equipment and we luckily have a local dealer for it, although their selection is a bit limited. I bought a NEMO tent 13 years ago and still use it today so always try and buy their stuff when I can.

If you’re looking for camping or outdoor gear, I’ve listed the places I know that have a good selection along with some of the brands they carry. If I missed a place let me know in the comments.

AAW
Campingaz, Coleman, Magma, Snow Peak

Ace Hardware
Bestway, Coghlan’s, Coleman, Mr. Heater, Pavillo, Wenzel

Al Azame
Barebones, Leatherman, Nitecore, Teton, Thaw, Victorinox

All Degrees
Biotite, Black Diamond, Osprey, UCO

Alyash
Sells mostly Alyash brand

Camouflage
Sells mostly Camouflage brand

Camp N Sea
Bestway, Coleman, Dometic, KingCamp, Naturehike, Nemo, Outwell, Teton, Thaw

Decathlon
Sells only Quechua brand

DreamTeam
Gerber, Leatherman, Nebo, Nitecore, Olight, Pelican, SOL

Naturehike
Sells only Naturehike brand

ORP
ARB, Biolite, NEMO Equipment

Outdoor Kuwait
Camelbak, Campingmoon, GSI Outdoor, Jera, Solo Stove

I’m sure you’ve heard of UPayments by now. If you’re starting a business or already running one, their name has probably come up more than once.

What makes UPayments interesting is how much they’ve transformed over the years. They started off as a simple payment solution, but today they’ve become a full ecosystem that a lot of businesses rely on. And now, as a subsidiary of NBK, they’ve grown into one of the most trusted and regulated payment providers in Kuwait. That alone gives a lot of confidence to anyone trying to build a serious business.

When you’re choosing a payments partner, there are plenty of options out there. But reliability, security, and long-term stability are things you can’t compromise on. That’s where UPayments really stands out. They’ve gone from being “another payment solution” to becoming a solid growth partner for businesses of all sizes.

Only after that transformation does it make sense to look at what they actually offer today. Their services cover pretty much everything a business might need:

• Online invoicing and payment links for instant collection

• A full e-commerce platform to help you launch and run an online store

• Payment gateway APIs and plugins for easy website and app integration

• Smart point-of-sale devices for in-store payments

• A property management and rent collection system for landlords

If you’re running a small business or planning to start one soon, UPayments is definitely worth checking out. You can find more information on their website upayments.com

Last year around this time I posted about the then-newly opened Gourmet Grocers, a premium grocery boutique at the Nasco building in Shuwaikh. Since then they’ve brought in even more brands and have become a go-to spot for anyone looking for premium essentials and interesting finds you don’t usually come across elsewhere.

Gourmet Grocers recently expanded their lineup with new gourmet brands like Ortiz, Greenomic, and Bornibus, while still carrying popular favorites such as Bjorg, Lune de Miel, Nicolas Alziari, and Nina’s Marie-Antoinette. It’s a mix of everyday essentials and those rare items you end up buying the moment you see them. Ortiz, by the way, is my favorite canned tuna brand, and if you’ve never tried it, you really should.

Gourmet Grocers also puts together seasonal collections throughout the year for occasions like Ramadan, Valentine’s Day, and other key events. For the holidays they’ve brought in Panettone, Panforte, festive sweets, and a new range of Gift Hampers and Gift Boxes. They regularly share curated hamper ideas on Instagram, or you can build your own by picking items directly from the store. Everything is packaged really nicely with a lot of attention to detail, so the gifts end up feeling thoughtful and premium.

They offer online ordering as well with complimentary delivery anywhere in Kuwait, and if you place your order before 2 p.m. you get same-day delivery through gourmet-grocers.com.

If you prefer passing by in person, the boutique is located in Shuwaikh (Google Maps). For updates and product highlights, check out @gourmetgrocers on Instagram or browse their website.

Yesterday Leica officially opened its first store in Kuwait at 360 Mall. The shop is located in the original phase of the mall near the fountain outside Bloomingdales. It’s a small space that looks like a pop-up, but I think it works really well for them. The photographer Jassim Ahmed Almuhanna (@jassimpix) took some cool photos during the opening, which I’ve shared on Instagram.

Boushahri Group were the local Leica dealers previously but the brand is now with the Qatari luxury group Ali Bin Ali. The store is open daily from 10AM to 10PM and until 11PM on weekends. @leicastorekwt

Primark is opening their first location in Kuwait this Thursday, and yesterday I was given access to the store to check out the space. If you’ve ever been to Debenhams in that location, you’ll be familiar with it. The biggest change is that the basement is now closed off, and the back entrance that opened to the Electra district of Avenues is also closed.

The one thing everyone’s curious about is the prices. Primark is known for its trendy styles at very low prices, so how do Kuwait’s prices compare with the UK?

I walked around the store randomly taking photos of price tags so I could compare them with the UK website. I searched for each item using its code, converted the UK prices to Kuwaiti Dinars, and rounded up. I then plugged all the data into ChatGPT to calculate the difference. Here’s the result:

Men
Average difference: +0.460 fils
Average % higher: 8.4%

Women
Average difference: +390 fils
Average % higher: 5.8%

Kids
Average difference: +510 fils
Average % higher: 15.8%

Other
Average difference: +120 fils
Average % higher: 7.8%

Overall average difference:
+0.410 fils, which is roughly 8.7% higher in Kuwait compared to the UK.

So basically the prices are pretty close!

Primark is opening in Phase 4 of The Avenues this coming Thursday, October 23 at 2PM. If you want to check out the prices of different items as well as more photos of the interior, check my instagram post.

Finally, I’ve been waiting for this to happen since Aramex acquired MyUS. One of the benefits to using MyUS over Shop&Ship was that they were based in Florida which meant we didn’t have to pay a sales tax. Awhile ago I got an email from Shop&Ship letting me know they’ve now changed their US mailbox address from being based in New York to now being based in Florida. This means any shipments sent to your Shop&Ship US address will no longer be taxed.

I wonder if Amazon offering free shipping to Kuwait was the reason they decided to finally shift from NY to Florida.

The new address is now:

Name: Firstname Lastname
Address Line 1: 4297 Express Lane, Sarasota
Address Line 2: Your S&S Mailbox Number
City: Sarasota
State: Florida
Country: United States
Zip Code: 34249-2602
Phone: 9413262501

You should update your address immediately.

I don’t have a dirt bike but I found out about this place in Kuwait that does decals and sells plastic body panels for dirt bikes. It’s very niche which is why I figured I’d post about it in case someone ever tries using google to find a place that does this.

The place is called MOTORRAD and their instagram account is @motorradkw

Back in August, I posted about using AliExpress for the first time to purchase a couple of items, and I was really impressed with the experience. They’re now always top of mind when I think about getting something online, which is why I ordered from them again 10 days ago.

I wanted to buy a wireless CarPlay adapter for my Hilux (this was before I decided to sell it). From the factory, CarPlay only works with a USB cable, but I found out about a tiny USB adapter called the CarlinKit Mini Ultra. You just plug it into the USB port, and your phone connects to CarPlay wirelessly. The price on the CarlinKit website was around KD 18 at the time with free shipping (it’s now discounted to about KD 15). Just before checking out, I decided to see if it was available on AliExpress since it’s a Chinese company and it was.

There were plenty of options, and I found one selling it for KD 4.3 with 600 fils shipping. I ended up paying just KD 4.9 for the item, shipped from China straight to my door! I honestly don’t understand how that’s possible. It costs me more than 600 fils to get a burger delivered from Five Guys down the street.

So I guess this is another post recommending AliExpress, also the adapter. Been using it for the past few days and it’s pretty great. There is a slight lag between an input and something happening, like you click forward for a song and it takes maybe a second or less for the track to move forward. It’s not a deal breaker and something that you’d get used to. I have the same issue with the aftermarket CarPlay unit I installed in my e46 BMW.

Yesterday Carrefour stopped operating in Kuwait. They don’t list a reason for why, but it’s assumed the boycott hurt them a lot.

A reader emailed me to let me know that some Carrefour locations are now branded Hypermax. Hypermax like Carrefour is also owned by Majid Al Futtaim and is their own brand, not a franchise.

I previously mentioned that Spinneys would be taking over the Carrefour location in The Avenues. I think the chances of that happening now are really high.

Ulta Beauty Kuwait has an official opening date and it’s Friday, November 7.

Kecia Steelman, the CEO of Ulta Beauty, announced the date at a pre-launch party in Dubai this past weekend. Their first location in Kuwait will be at The Avenues, taking over the spot where Dean & Deluca used to be. It will also be the first Ulta Beauty location outside the U.S.

I visited Ulta Beauty for the first time a few weeks ago while I was in LA. The store felt like a mix between Boots and Sephora and wasn’t that visually appealing, but I’ve been told the Kuwait and Dubai locations will have a more premium look.

Ulta Beauty’s Middle East instagram account is @ultabeautymiddleeast

With the new iPhones just released and pre-orders starting tomorrow, a lot of people will be trying to get one. If you’re planning on getting a new iPhone, pre-ordering from Gait makes a lot of sense since they’ve got a few perks you might like.

First, if you like upgrading every year, Gait gives you up to 60% guaranteed buyback when you switch to your next iPhone. That way you don’t need to wait around trying to sell your old one and you always stay up to date.

They also have GaitCare, which comes with a free screen protector and accidental damage repairs. Basically, it’s an extra safety net for your phone and your wallet.

On top of that, you can save 30% on their Gilga essential kit. It includes a clear case, a screen protector, and a lens protector, so your iPhone is fully covered without hiding the design.

And if you’d rather not pay the whole amount upfront, they offer 0% installment payments over 12 months. You can also trade in your old device to lower the price even more.

So if you were already planning to get the new iPhone, pre-ordering with Gait is a good deal. Pre-orders open tomorrow, Friday September 12 at 3PM. Check them out gait.com.kw

I just got the official prices for the new iPhones in Kuwait. These are the prices authorized Apple resellers will be following:

iPhone 17 256GB – KD 300
iPhone 17 512GB – KD 370

iPhone Air 256GB – KD 378
iPhone Air 512GB – KD 448
iPhone Air 1TB – KD 518

iPhone 17 Pro 256GB – KD 410
iPhone 17 Pro 512GB – KD 480
iPhone 17 Pro 1TB – KD 550

iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB – KD 445
iPhone 17 Pro Max 512GB – KD 520
iPhone 17 Pro Max 1TB – KD 590
iPhone 17 Pro Max 2TB – KD 740

I also asked about the prices of the new AirPods and Ultra Watch since I’m interested in both:

AirPods Pro 3 – KD 92
Watch Ultra 3 – KD 280

As I mentioned earlier today, pre-orders start on September 12 and then become available on the 19th.

Update: Here is the price of the iPhone 17 Pro 256GB compared to the rest of the world:

Kuwait KD410

Australia KD404
Canada KD353
France KD476
Germany KD465
Honk Kong KD370
Italy KD480
India KD468
Saudi KD423
Spain KD472
Switzerland KD420
UAE KD391
UK KD455
United States KD336

A couple of weeks ago I posted Spinneys might be opening in Kuwait, and it’s now official. Spinneys just announced they’re entering Kuwait through a joint venture with Alshaya Group.

Kuwait will be their fourth GCC market, with ten stores planned and the first expected to open in 2026.

They don’t mention where the first store will be, but I’d previously heard Alshaya was looking to replace Carrefour in The Avenues with their own supermarket brand, so that might still be the case. Link

IKEA currently has a huge sale taking place, but this time they’re also doing something special.

Every weekend they’re hosting a variety of fun activities for kids, so you can shop, save, and make memories together. From balloon shows to science shows, the activities are happening at all IKEA branches:

IKEA The Avenues
IKEA The Warehouse, Sabahiya
IKEA Khiran Mall
IKEA 360 Mall
IKEA Assima Mall

Different branches have different schedules, so click the branches above to see what’s happening and when. @ikeakuwait

A couple of weeks ago I used AliExpress for the first time, for two orders back to back. I never had a reason to buy anything from AliExpress before but it just strangely happened that I needed to buy two different things from them.

I wanted to buy a CD player called the SMSL PL100. They were out of stock on Amazon but found it available on AliExpress with free shipping to Kuwait. Basically was going to be the same price as Amazon or maybe slightly cheaper. I placed the order on August 3rd.

The next thing I wanted to get was the new ANBERNIC RG 477M game console. It was available on the Abnernic website but they were charging $50 to ship to Kuwait. It was the same price on AliExpress with free shipping to Kuwait. So I placed the order on August 6.

I wanted the Anbernic for my LA flight which is later today and wasn’t sure if I’d get it in time. To my surprise both items were delivered to my door on August 13th. I thought they would arrive to the post office but similar to TEMU, my items got delivered to my home.

Overall it wasn’t a bad experience. I only had difficulty at first creating an account, both accounts I created were locked up instantly because it thought I was a bot or spam or something. Nearly put me off but then got it working. There are always offers as well it seems, and I used a coupon to get a discount on my Anbernic order as well. I’ll probably order more items from AliExpress in the future but with Amazon free shipping I’m not sure how often that will be. I always prefer buying from Amazon, but at least now I have a second site to compare prices with, at least with items that come from China anyway.