Category: Shopping

When I mention the lack of self-checkout machines at supermarkets in Kuwait under one of my posts, a reader told me they had them at Shamiya supermarket. So I went last night to double-check and he was right, they had two of them. Turns out Mishref and Qurtoba Coop also have self-checkout machines.

I don’t shop at Coops so wouldn’t have known about this unless someone told me. Are self-checkout machines now popping up in all Coops? Cuz if that is the case it’s even weirder that a private more modern supermarket like Sultan Center or Lulu don’t have them.

While in London I spotted an Amazon Fresh grocery store next to my hotel using their grab-and-go concept. Basically it’s the next step after self-checkout, there is no checkout. You basically walk into the store, open your Amazon app and pull up a QR code which you need to scan at the entrance before going in. After that, you just take whatever you want from the shelves and then walk out without having to go through the checkout process. The store’s AI matches you to your Amazon account and using various cameras knows what you take and just charges your credit card.

The process felt pretty weird cuz on the way out you don’t have to scan or do anything, you just walk out. So it feels like you forgot to do something or that you’ve stolen an item. But it’s pretty great and after my first purchase, I got £10 credit put into my account to use during the day at the store, and then the second time I picked up something, I got another £10 credit put into my account to use during the evenings at the store. So basically was shopping for free.

I still don’t understand why our supermarket chains here don’t install self check out machines. Dear Sultan Center, please install self-checkout machines it’s 2022!

I found out about Smiths Boutique by mistake recently. Before I traveled on vacation I was in Dasman Complex picking up a burger from Top Bun when I noticed something going on in one of the shops nearby. Turns out it was a small event for a local watch boutique called Smiths. I’m a big fan of watches and so decided to check the event out. The owner was there, a watch guy himself (obviously) so he proceeded to explain to me and my friends his concept, the watch brands he had on display, and why he chose to bring those specific ones to Kuwait.

Smiths carries brands you might never have heard of like Laco, Roue, RZE and HVD but they all have interesting stories. Laco for example is a German watch brand that has been around since 1925 while Roue is a brand inspired by watches in the 60s and 70s. Smiths also carries modified and homage watches, a category that has exploded in popularity recently due to watches like the CasiOak, a mashup where people took an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak replica case and combined it with a Casio. Smiths carries some modified Seiko watches which are interesting, fun, and attainable, but that also pretty much describes all the watches Smiths carry.

If you like watches you’ll appreciate what Smiths is trying to do. With most of the watch stores sticking to popular and generic big names, it’s refreshing to see one thats trying to be a bit more unique and offer something more curated. The Smiths Instagram is pretty active and informative so make sure you check that out @smiths.oclock but their website is also mobile phone friendly with all their watches displayed along with their prices, you can check that out at smiths.boutique

Rullart is a local concept that started in 2001 creating gifts for gurgayaan and since then has evolved and expanded its product line to include a lot more items. Most of the ones I spotted in their store in Assima would be great gifts to give during Ramadan like prayer sets (including cute travel ones), mubkhars, Quran covers and more.

All their items are really pretty with cool patterns and tasteful colors. They also have a pretty good website, so if you don’t want to visit the store in person you can shop online although I couldn’t find everything I saw in person on it. If you’re looking for cool gifts or maybe something for you this Ramadan, check them out. Link

I’ve been meaning to get back to doing cardio exercises but have just been so lazy the past few months. Then a couple of weeks ago I decided to get an Assault Airbike. I previously had the Concept2 Rower but sold it when I stopped using it (got bored) so I didn’t want to get another one again. You’ve probably come across an Assault Airbike at your gym, they’re a cross between a traditional exercise bike and an elliptical so you can work out the top and lower half of your body at the same time. It doesn’t take up too much space and isn’t as expensive as the Concept2 rower so figured it was worth getting one and trying it out.

I specifically wanted the Assault Fitness brand and I wasn’t sure I’d find it in Kuwait so I started my search on Amazon and calculate how much it would cost to ship to Kuwait. But, I quickly found out that the AssaultBike was actually readily available in Kuwait, the only odd thing was how varied the prices were from one supplier to another:

Assault AirBike Classic
ProSports: KD333
Sports World: KD297
GetFit: KD290
BeFit: KD282
12st Gym: KD275
Wellness First: KD245

Those are the prices I found for the exact same bike! As you can guess, I ended up buying mine from Wellness First since they were the cheapest and by a good margin. If they weren’t official distributors for the Assault Fitness brand I would have assumed the bikes were counterfeit or something but they’re legit. The ordering process with them was pretty smooth, I ordered the bike via Whatsapp, they came two days later and installed it, and after they were done sent me a payment link. Easy.

So if you’re looking for an Assault airbike, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from.

You’ve probably come across Marvis toothpaste when on vacation somewhere. They usually are sold at concept stores and nice pharmacies and is considered to be a somewhat luxury toothpaste brand. They come in a handful of intense flavors with my favorite being cinnamon. I was always curious to why no one in Kuwait sold Marvis but now I found a place that does called “The Nob Shop” and their prices seem pretty good since they’re all discounted right now.

If you’re a fan of Marvis toothpaste or want to try it, here is a link the product page on The Nob Shop. Link

I posted about weighted blankets for sale at Ace Hardware last year but these blankets by OneBase are much nicer. They come in two colors and two weights, 5KG and 8KG. Unlike most weighted blankets, OneBase does not fill theirs with plastic pellets, instead, they’re made from 100% fabric. The chunky style of hand knitting also keeps you cool due to the air gaps within the braids.

They’re slightly more expensive than the blankets Ace was selling but they are much cooler looking and of better quality. Plus it’s always good to support local brands. If you want one, you can order it from the OneBase website byonebase.com

The Common Good is a local online store that recently launched selling products made from natural and sustainable materials. They’ve got some interesting items including very stylish-looking ones from the Danish brand Haps Nordic as well as some cool wooden toys for kids.

Their prices seem pretty decent, at first, I thought they might have been overpricing since there was a lunch box by Haps Nordic I was checking out and it was priced at 12KD. But, turns out Haps Nordic themselves sell the same lunchbox for around 11.5KD so I guess the items themselves are just expensive.

If you’re into natural and sustainable living you might find something you’d like on their website. Here is the link.

If you’re looking to buy film or film cameras, Laqta is a local online store that has the largest collection I’ve seen so far in Kuwait. They have cameras starting from 15KD going all the way up to 246KD for a medium format Mamiya. They also have three kinds of 35mm film for sale as well as 120mm medium format film for sale.

Their instagram account is @allaqtaa but if you want to check out their full catalog then visit their website laqtafilmstore.com

Ever since old Salmiya got a facelift I’ve refrained from posting about it due to all the issues I have with the project (which I won’t get into in this post). But, one good thing has come out of it and that is Little Manila.

Over the past couple of years, the Filipino community has been slowly taking over the first chunk of Salem Mubarek Street that was made pedestrian-only a few years ago. It started off with popular Asian-focused supermarkets popping up, followed by shops and restaurants (we now have like 400 fried chicken and bubble tea concepts now). There is a lot of life on the street now with a great atmosphere in the evenings. We have live music, lots of outdoor restaurants, dogs and kids running around, and even pop-up markets.

Although I still have issues with the project, I like how the community has taken it over. When I was a kid we used to call the neighborhood old Salmiya but now everyone is calling it Little Manila. If you haven’t been to the neighborhood before or haven’t been in a while, you should come by. Parking and traffic are still an issue but if you’re willing to park a bit far and walk you’ll be fine. Here is the location on Google Maps.

Thrf is a new online thrift shop set up by the very fashionable @hesitant__alien. The account sells pre-loved, vintage, and brand new clothing all hand-picked by her and updated every weekend. All the prices and sizes are listed in the description and everything is very reasonably priced.

The clothes sell out fairly quickly so make sure you follow the account to be notified once they drop @thrf_kw

Ace Hardware opened up a new location at Boulevard Mall in Salmiya last week. The new location is bigger than I expected it to be, I think it’s bigger than the Hawally location. I now have two Ace Hardware’s near me now, the Hawally location and this Boulevard one but would have preferred a Bin Nisf close by as well. Ace is located on the ground floor next to Sears. Here is the location on Google Maps.

Sage products, or Breville as it’s called in the States, are now available in Kuwait at Xcite. They recently became dealers of the brand and so have brought over their full line of products including their coffee machines which are really popular. I used to have the Oracle coffee machine which I used to love before it died on me and I couldn’t get it repaired because there was no local dealer.

The prices at Xcite are more expensive than Amazon UK even though the UK prices include 20% VAT, so not sure why the Kuwait prices aren’t more similar. But, the prices in Kuwait are still cheaper than trying to order the machines all the way from the UK like I had previously recommended you do. Here are some examples:

Sage Barista Touch Espresso Machine
Xcite: 379 KD
Amazon UK: 343 KD

Sage Barista Pro Espresso Machine
Xcite: 299 KD
Amazon UK: 243 KD

Sage Barista Express Espresso Machine
Xcite: 223 KD
Amazon UK: 259 KD

Sage Smart Grinder Pro
Xcite: 99 KD
Amazon UK: 80 KD

If you’re a tea drinker, Sage also have some really great kettles (I have the Smart Kettle as well as their 800 juicer). Also, some items like the bread machine are out of stock in the UK but available here so that’s a plus for us.

Anyway, to check out their products you can search for “Sage” on their website although I noticed they had some items in their Al Rai branch that aren’t listed on their website so might be better to just pass by the store if you’re looking for something specific.

I downloaded the Avenues app years ago but then deleted it from my phone since it was pretty much useless, but turns out a year ago, the app got a major update with some cool features. One useful feature I found out about is called “Park My Car”. Say you want to go to a specific store in Avenues and you want to park as close as possible to it, in the app look for the store you want and once you get to the brand page you’ll find the “Park My Car” option at the bottom. If you click on it, the app will tell you which is the closest parking entrance and you can even have it take you to that entrance with Google Maps. Pretty nifty.

If you want to download the app it’s available on the Apple Store and Google Play.

Good espresso machines aren’t cheap and if you’ve never used one before you might be hesitant to invest in one which is why getting a used machine could be a good idea for a lot of people. There is a local Instagram account that specializes in selling used coffee machines, grinders and various accessories that usually are pretty expensive like Acaia scales. A lot of the items available for sale aren’t even available locally so most likely they were ordered online like I did with my setup.

Some cool brands of machines and grinders I spotted for sale include Baratza, Breville, Eureka, Profetic, La Marzocco, Niche, and Rocket. If you’re interested in making your own coffee at home but don’t want to invest a lot of money, check out what’s for sale on @coffee_market_kw

Thanks radaaitor