Category: Shopping

Sheeel.com have a good deal on the original 16GB wifi iPad. For KD120 you get the iPad, a leather case that has a built in keyboard and 2 extra USB cables. There quantity is always limited so if you’re interested you need to hurry up and get it. [Link]

Note: The same iPad costs around KD10 less in the US without the accessories or shipping and tax.

Update: Baroue is selling the iPhone 4 16GB for KD225 which is around the same price if you order it yourself from Apple UK [Link]

Update2: As of this post Blink has the iPad 2’s in stock as well [Link]

It seems a sewage pipe burst at The Avenues yesterday flooding the Veromoda and Fashion Code stores. I wasn’t there but I could imagine the area must have smelled terrible. 965Malls has pictures and videos of this incident which you can check [Here]

Not sure how serious the scooter problem was at The Avenues but they’re now banning them. Personally I would rather they focus all their effort on the no smoking policy.

Qaiss from the local blog io81 has recently launched a new business. I’ve been reading his business oriented blog for a long time now since I am always interested in what he has to say about the local market and I also enjoy reading his complaints, tips and business ideas. So when I heard he launched a new business called Digumz I was excited to find out more about it and so far the first impression is really good.

Qaiss basically has set up an online video game rental website which also has a physical location at Omnia Mall in Salmiya. He has kept it simple with 3 flat rate rental plans, KD7 a month will allow you to rent as many games as you want per month as long as you rent 1 game at a time. KD13 will allow you to rent 2 games at a time and KD18 will allow you to rent 3 games at a time. Once you sign up and become a member you just login to his website, choose the game you want and they will deliver it for free.

I think it’s a pretty simple and cool idea. So if you’re interested check out his website www.digumz.com

Around a week ago the local blog His & Hers posted about a price discrepancy they spotted at River Island and they were very upset because they felt cheated. River Island responded to their post by inviting them over for a meeting so they could explain to them why things are priced the way they are. They didn’t have to do this but they took the extra effort to make things right. You can check that post [Here]

Yesterday on the Dubai Eye radio station during the show Techno Tuesday (Listen here 2nd file starting at 3:30) they brought up the issue I am having with Benihana and one of the hosts mentioned Aramex as a company that handles criticism really well which I have to say is absolutely true. Those of you who have been reading my blog know how much and how often I’ve criticized Aramex in the past and it never got personal. I’ve actually been with them for over 10 years now and I was one of their first 200 customers and they’ve always taken criticism from me and their customers and used it to try and improve their service. Not once did I receive a warning from them or have a package of mine “accidentally” get sent to China. In fact they even wanted me to post asking my readers what issues they also had with them, which I ended up doing.

Now that’s good customer care.

Ace Hardware are selling UV flashlights. CSI fans will know what a UV flashlight is and can be used for and I picked one up for that very reason. Lots of warning labels all over the place, I didn’t think a UV flashlight could be dangerous. Now I understand why they wear those orange goggles on the TV show. Price? Just KD2.770

Note: As someone mentioned in the comments, this is not a toy and not for kids. There is a reason for all those warning labels on the package and flashlight.

A reader made me aware of this cool deal. You can get a $20 Amazon gift voucher for just $10. I just bought one since I shop on Amazon a lot. Just visit the link here and put NYC as your city. This offer is just valid for today. [Link]

The blog 965malls went around The Avenues yesterday and took a picture of every store front that had a sale. In total they counted 98 stores on sale! They then took the 98 pictures of the store fronts and put them together in a collage which you can see a part of in the image above. Check out their blog for the full image and more [Here]

So just before New Years The Avenues announced that starting 2011 it would be non-smoking mall. Well it’s 2011 and I haven’t seen any change. As expected people are still allowed to smoke freely and today I even spotted a shop employee smoking outside her shop as well. We’re still the first week of 2011 and it looks like the smoke free idea has already collapsed.

I think there are a few reasons behind this.

1) There are no signs inside the mall that say “No Smoking”
2) Looks like the employees of the shops don’t know it’s now a smoke free environment
3) Not enough personnel to look out for smokers

Here is what I suggest as solutions:

1) There should be better coordination between the shops and the mall. Maybe the mall could provide the stores with a kit that contains a no smoking sticker for their door and small no smoking stands to place inside the store next to cash register. Maybe there could be a small booklet that explains to the employees why there is this band and what to do in an event they catch a smoker who refuses to stop smoking
2) There should be no smoking signs next to the trash bins and all around the mall
3) There should be more people stationed around the mall keeping an eye out for smokers
4) Create posters or give away fliers to people explaining to them the dangers of smoking and second hand smoke. That way customers will understand the reason behind the ban
5) Think bigger and create a campaign for a smoke free Kuwait and The Avenues could set an example by being the first major establishment to support this

If you guys have any other ideas post them below.

My friend spotted the banner above at Holiday Inn Salmiya. Seems there is a 95% sale on designer brands taking place at their ballroom. I don’t know how long the sale is there for but according to the banner they’re open from 10AM to 10PM.

Thanks Q

Update: Seems today (Wednesday) is their last day

Yesterday the local blogosphere came alive about how starting January 1st The Avenues would turn into a non-smoking mall. I for one was very skeptical when hearing this since the airport for example is supposed to be smoke free yet people there smoke casually without any consequences. At restaurants smokers also usually have the best tables while non-smokers get shoved all the way in the back. Since I was in contact with someone at The Avenues, I decided to find out more about this smoking ban and how they were going to enforce it.

First of all The Avenues is going to be smoke free except for the following areas:
– Designated areas in cafés and restaurants
– Seating areas and space outside The Avenues (open air)
– 9 air freshener machines (pictured above) will be installed at all the basement entrances and those stations will be designated as smoking areas

Regarding enforcing this ban, if The Avenues security personal find anyone smoking they will approach them and ask them to stop. Since they’re a mall they can’t fine smokers themselves but they will be cooperating closely with the police who are present at the mall on a daily basis.

I am a non-smoker and I hate walking in a mall behind someone smoking so personally I really hope this campaign succeeds and The Avenues can truly enforce this smoking ban and set an example.

Last night I posted a sneak peek of the new Choowy Goowy Cafe that’s opening up at 52 Degrees and today Nat passed by and was able to send me pictures of 52 Degrees as well. The place so far looks really cool and that has a lot to do with the fact it was designed by the Kuwaiti architect Ahmed Al-Baghli, the same guy behind the beautiful MELENZANÈ. Nat on the other hand created the 52 Degrees identity. You can check out some sneak peek pictures below, they are soft launching tonight.

For those of you who don’t know what 52 Degrees is, it’s basically a department store that will be filled with Kuwaiti products and creations from clothing and accessories to food and desserts.

A reader sent me two pictures of a very long queue at Geant right now. Seems they have an offer on Samsung 1080 phones, they’re selling it for KD1 and that includes when you buy a KD5 phone line.

Thanks Yousuf

GoNabit is an interesting website that’s been around for awhile now I guess but just recently included Kuwait. It’s a website where they have new offers all the time. Last week for example you could open up an Aramex Shop&Ship account for half price, today for example you can get a KD10 voucher to use at Diva’s for KD5 or you can pay KD10 and get a KD20 voucher to use at Saso Ocean Groove. They have limited quantity on these offers and once they run out they move over to the next offer. For each deal to work a minimum amount of people is required to sign up. For example for the Diva’s offer 10 people need to sign up for it at least. If 10 people sign up then the deal goes through and you get your voucher. If less than 10 people sign up then you get your money back and the offer is canceled. [Link]

Thanks Ghinoua

Update: I added more details on how GoNabit works

I was at Dean & Deluca when I spotted the sign above and I could make out the word seedless underneath the sticker. I love seedless watermelons and always have them whenever I am in the States but never knew why we never got them in Kuwait. So I asked an employee there if they had any seedless watermelon and he told me they ran out but are getting some again in a couple of weeks. Finally seedless watermelons in Kuwait!