Category: Shopping

Something really weird happened to me yesterday. I was ordering the new AirFly Pro 2 (it’s a device that allows me to connect two bluetooth headphones to my iPad) and as I was checking out I noticed that Amazon weren’t charging me for shipping to Kuwait. It was making me pay the import charges, but shipping was free.

I placed the order and just a few moments ago it shipped to Kuwait using Aramex. So I just went through my wishlist to see if this was just a one time thing, or specific product offer, and nope, turns out a lot of the items on my wishlist can now be shipped to Kuwait for free which is crazy.

Turns out Amazon.com (US) has now introduced free delivery to Kuwait when you purchase one or more eligible items with an order value of USD 59 or more.

This is a game changer!

Yesterday’s post inspired me to put together this list of local lifestyle brands I love. Some of these are brands I have a personal connection with, while others I just appreciate for their story or aesthetic. I’m hoping you might not have heard of some of them yet, but that you’ll end up loving them when you do.

Ecru
Limited collections of objects, furniture, and clothing inspired by the ethos and culture of Arab hospitality.

ET Cetra
Contemporary lifestyle supplier store where everyday objects are celebrated for their function, simplicity, and design.

From Mud
Ceramics studio specializing in designing and creating handmade tableware and objects.

Happy Herbalist
A 100% natural, cruelty-free organic skincare brand that uses clean ingredients sourced from around the world.

Hind
Curated handmade clothing and accessories from around the world, crafted by artisans to support families, education, and a sustainable future.

Hot Mess
Sleepwear and loungewear designed not to be perfect, but to feel good, look cute, and live real.

Khaneh
Curated selection of authentic and handmade pieces that add warmth, depth, and character to your home.

Pantera Furtiva
Blends minimalism with an appreciation for quality craftsmanship in handcrafted footwear.

Ra
A MENA-inspired, ungendered, and seasonless brand, all handmade by local craftspeople and made to order in their Kuwait City studio.

SOM Active
State of Mind Active is a fashion-focused recreational apparel brand with a wellness-driven mindset.

Sonder Goods
Unique, high-quality stationery and design-focused products, with collaborations from local, regional, and international creatives.

The Soap Box
Natural luxury soap and skincare using lavender they grow in Ireland.

Zeri Craft
Blends Khaleeji cultural inspiration with contemporary design, creating simple, functional objects that honor tradition and sustainability, all handcrafted by skilled artisans.

Hamleys, the world’s oldest toy store, just opened a new location at The Avenues. When Hamleys first opened in Kuwait back in 2020, I was a bit surprised they chose to open at The Gate Mall instead of The Avenues. I found that store small and too far out of my way to ever want to visit. But a few days ago, they opened their new location in Phase 1 of The Avenues, and I feel this is the one they should have opened back then.

The new Hamleys is bigger and more inviting although still tiny compared to the Hamleys flagship store in London. I think it’s also slightly smaller than the Fantasy Land store in The Avenues, but it’s filled with lots of toys including dedicated Hot Wheels, LEGO, Barbie and Play-Doh areas. There is also a Build-A-Bear Workshop inside the store.

The opening of this new store feels like a relaunch of the brand in Kuwait, since their Instagram account has deleted all traces of the previous store and positioned themselves as if they’re just opening in Kuwait for the first time.

If you want to check out the new store, it’s located on the ground floor of Phase 1 next to Foot Locker (not to be confused with the Foot Locker in Phase 3 or the one at The Forum). To make things slightly more confusing, Hamleys’ profile says they’re open in Avenues Phase 2, but the map on The Avenues website says Phase 1 🤷🏼‍♂️. Here’s their Instagram @hamleyskuwait

The other day I published Switch 2 prices in Kuwait, and I have some updates.

Firstly, 3R Store (3roodq8) started the pre-order on the Nintendo Switch 2 console and they’ve currently got the cheapest price in Kuwait. They’re selling the console (not the bundle) for KD170, so 10KD cheaper than everyone else. Link

Secondly, Best, Eureka and Xcite are all offering additional things with their bundles. Best are including 1-year of Nintendo Online with their offer, Eureka are offering screen protectors, and Xcite are including headphones.

Finally, a reader let me know you can pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2 from the Amazon.fr store and they’ll ship it straight to Kuwait. The Switch 2 + Mario Kart Bundle will cost 183KD shipped to Kuwait including customs. So around 15KD cheaper than Kuwait prices plus you have the benefit of getting it before the shops in Kuwait.

On a side note, I was checking to see if Amazon.ae carried the Switch 2, they don’t, but I did find the new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones for sale. They have a pre-order offer now where they’ll include the Sony ULT10 portable speaker for free if you order before the June 17th regional launch date. Total price shipped to Kuwait is KD153. Amazon.com price is KD137 not including tax and shipping plus you don’t get the portable speaker.

Starting today, it’s Puff Week! Puff Kuwait’s biggest sale of the year is here, just in time for summer. Beat the heat with ice-cold sips in colors that match your vibe.

The sale is live now on Boutiqaat, and starting tomorrow, you’ll also find it in-store at Assima Mall, Gate Mall, Marina Mall, and Kout Mall.

For more info, head to @trypuff.

Lil Baby App is a new approach to parenting, designed to make life easier for parents. The Kuwait-based app, created by a pediatrician, offers the ability to create regular orders for baby supplies and subscription boxes for essentials like milk, diapers, wipes, and snacks. Orders can be placed for fast delivery or scheduled in advance, with free delivery for next-day orders.
 
There are several advantages to using Lil Baby including:
 
Prices & Subscription Packages
For both regular orders as well as subscriptions, the prices on the app are often more affordable than those found in supermarkets. Additionally, the app offers further savings through subscription packages. For instance, instead of buying diapers weekly, you can set up a one-month subscription and enjoy a discounted rate when paying upfront. These subscription packages are not only cost-effective but also convenient as they eliminate the need to repeatedly order the same items.
 

Free Delivery
If you need your items urgently, they can be delivered within 45 minutes for a nominal fee. However, if you don’t mind waiting until the next day, delivery is completely free.
 
Items Availability
As a parent you’ve likely faced situations where a supermarket or delivery app didn’t have your preferred diaper size, your baby’s milk brand, or their favorite snacks in stock. Lil Baby understands these frustrations, which is why they make it a priority to keep every brand, item, and size available always, ensuring you never have to deal with that inconvenience.
 
Customer Service
The owner grew up ordering from online brands like Amazon, where he experienced top-notch customer service. Inspired by them, he made customer satisfaction one of Lil Baby’s utmost priorities.

Finally, what truly sets this app apart is the added value of having a pediatrician providing informed medical guidance. For instance, you won’t find cough syrups for sale in the app but instead a message from the American Academy of Pediatrics on why that is the case. Additionally, the app features an ‘Activity’ category where Dr. Abdallah shares insightful news and articles related to parenting and childcare.
 
For more info head to @lilbabykw

Ya Hala, the biggest shopping festival in Kuwait’s history, kicked off a few days ago. I was at The Avenues and noticed tons of shops offering discounts. It’s super easy to tell which ones are participating in the festival by the Ya Hala stickers stuck outside on their displays.

For the next ten weeks, every 10 dinars you spend will earn you a coupon for a draw. Each week, you could win one of 12 cars or a share of $100,000, divided among 100 winners.

Stay updated on the festival by following @yahalakuwait and @whatsonyahala

Ya Hala, the largest shopping festival in Kuwait’s history, is launching in just a few days, and they’ve just announced 120 cars up for grabs!

Over ten weeks, there will be weekly draws for 12 cars, which is pretty insane—and that’s not even counting the millions of dinars in additional prizes.

Stay updated on the festival by following @yahalakuwait and @whatsonyahala.

Not sure if the website is new or not but @q8nitro has been posting about it recently so I just found out about it. It’s a much better site than Q8Car thats for sure, and the cars on it are more interesting. Only weird thing is that I don’t think they remove cars after they’ve sold. There are cars there listed back in 2019, not sure why they’re just leaving them since it makes the overall website less useful and misleading. Link

Let me know if this has happened to you. Whenever I order anything from Amazon straight to Kuwait, I either get the packages shipped via FedEx, or Aramex.

When the package gets shipped by FedEx, I don’t run into any issues, the packages get delivered straight to me without delays.

On the other hand, if the package ships with Aramex, it’s a completely different story.

The package doesn’t go out for delivery, instead Aramex starts blaming me for the delay either by stating they attempted to deliver the package and I wasn’t there, or that the delivery information is missing. This happens basically all the time.

Amazon sends me a message daily saying my package is on hold because Aramex is saying there is missing delivery info. Aramex doesn’t attempt to call me to get the “missing” info. I also can’t called Aramex to ask them what info is missing since there isn’t a way to talk to a human being and their automated system doesn’t have an option for updating delivery or whatever. They also have an automated WhatsApp system that you could in theory try and get a hold of a real person through, but I haven’t been able to get someone myself to verify that actually works. Yesterday I tried that and I’ve been on hold for more than 24 hours now and haven’t gotten a hold of anyone.

So the package usually stays in limbo for a few days, Aramex telling Amazon they can’t deliver cuz of missing info, and I can’t call Aramex to give them whatever missing info they want. Then, a few days later magically Aramex somehow manages to get the missing info and send my package out for delivery.

I have a theory to why they do this, I believe it’s so that they don’t look slow in front of Amazon. They blame the customer so that it’s not their fault for being late. End of the year when Amazon audits there delivery speed it won’t show any delays in delivery that way.

So let me know if you’ve run into this problem before because I’m sure it can’t be happening just to me.

Update: This is hilarious but I have another package that was meant to be delivered today and they couldn’t because “We’ve attempted to deliver the shipment, but the office was closed. Not to worry, the delivery has been rescheduled”

They tried to deliver at 11:39AM so obviously they are lying because the office was open at that time. This summarizes my issue with them, they keep coming off as liars. If they were just honest and were like “Sorry we couldn’t deliver the package today because it’s the holidays and we have too many shipments to deliver” I would have understood and be ok with it. But saying the office is closed when it isn’t, come on….

Get ready for the Ya Hala Kuwait Shopping Festival, a massive 70-day initiative aimed at boosting the local economy while delivering an unforgettable shopping and entertainment experience. Whether you’re a local, resident, or Gulf tourist, this event has something for everyone.

What’s It About?
The festival’s goal is to stimulate Kuwait’s economy by enhancing commercial, tourism, and entertainment activities. From massive discounts and exclusive offers to exciting giveaways, the festival ensures every outing is a rewarding one.

Who’s Involved?
Expect participation from shopping malls, retail stores, restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues, and even cooperative societies. It’s a collaborative effort that brings together all sectors, including aviation, hotels, and small businesses, to offer something truly unique.

Why You Should Visit
The Kuwait Shopping Festival isn’t just about shopping—it’s a celebration of local culture, economic growth, and community spirit. It’s designed to support small and medium enterprises while creating a vibrant atmosphere that encourages domestic tourism.

Whether you’re looking for great deals, family entertainment, or a reason to explore Kuwait’s rich commercial and cultural offerings, this is the time to dive in.

Let the festivities begin! Keep an eye out for more updates and exclusive offers @yahalakuwait

Yesterday, True Value declared bankruptcy in the US. For the time being their stores will stay open, but I’m curious to what will happen to the Kuwait store if they do end up closing down. Although I prefer Ace Hardware since they carry more of the things I need day to day, I’m still a big fan of True Value and like having them as an option. I especially like that they have a location in Salmiya since it’s very convenient for me. Actually, I feel lucky that I have 2 Ace Hardwares and a True Value near my place, only thing missing really is Binnisf and I’ll be set. Anyway, hopefully the bankruptcy doesn’t affect us here in Kuwait.

“My Belongings,” or “Moqtanayaty” (مقتنياتي) in Arabic, is a store in Kuwait City specializing in vintage electronics, including radios, boomboxes, record players, TVs, cameras, as well as records and cassettes.

Unlike most places that sell vintage items, nearly everything in this store is in working condition. They also repair vintage electronics in their in-house workshop. So, if you have an old record player that stopped working, you can bring it in, and they’ll try to fix it for you.

The store isn’t new—I first discovered it and posted about it in 2016 when it was located beneath JOA in the city. Since then, they’ve relocated several times and now have two locations in a building across the street from Souk Al Mubarakiya.

Their corner store on the ground floor serves as the repair shop, while the main showroom is located on the first floor of the same building. To access the showroom, you’ll need an employee from the repair shop to take you upstairs.

The showroom is like a mini museum where everything on display is for sale.

If you want to stop by to browse or get something, the shop is open daily except for Fridays from 8:30 AM to 1 PM and again from 4:30 PM to 9 PM. It’s located on Ahmad Al Jaber Street, opposite the Ahli Bank of Kuwait tower. Here is their location on Google Maps and here is their Instagram account @vintage_radio_

Over the summer, Lush released a watermelon soap with 100% of the profits going toward childhood mental health services in Palestine, and it has recently become available at Lush in Kuwait.

The “Watermelon Slice” feels right at home on their shelves, which is why I love this simple idea so much. Right next to the watermelon slices, they have the following message written:

You can’t wash away the trauma children experience during conflicts – but when you buy this soap, 100% of the profits will be donated solely to projects providing urgently needed professional mental health support and trauma counselling for children in Gaza and the West Bank.

Lush sells the watermelon slices by weight, so the thicker the slice, the more it costs and the more you donate. I love it.

The Arts & Crafts shop that used to be located off Canada Dry street have moved to a new location. Their new shop is located in the Design District in Shuwaikh, the same complex that has the restaurants Cure and Ovo (Google Maps).

The store is much smaller than their previous location but they’re still a good place to visit if you’re looking for specific art supplies from any of the following brands:

Art Rangers
Canson
Daler-Rowney
Gelli
Lyra
Maimeri
Mogart
Rotring
Sennelier
Speedball

They used to have an online store but seems to be down. Also not sure what their relationship with Mogahwi is since they have a joint store in Shuwaikh as well (Google Maps).

Their Instagram isn’t updated frequently but if you want to check it out it’s @artsandcrafts_kw