Recently, I passed by the local jamiya (the co-op), I grabbed a few items and was amazed at the bill. For around 4 items, I had paid almost 10kd……… that’s averaging on 2.5kd an item… you kidding me?
When I first came to Kuwait, I was amazed at how cheap everything was.
The old souq/malls, shops like Nasser Sports, Max, Sky Mall (up here in Egaila area), these kind of shops sold ‘tshirts’ for around a dinar, sometimes less……….. for you english folks reading, that’s like 2 pounds, think Primark. I liked these shops for my ‘house’ clothes, my ‘lazing’ around clothes that no-one actually sees, the prices of these shops have quadrupled. A tshirt can now cost anywhere from 4kd-12kd…… It’s just too high for low cost stores like this with low quality clothing……. I’m not saying ALL the clothes are, you have to really pick and choose. Kuwait has got shops for all buyers, you’ve got the really low range to the high range. But lately, the lower shops are just creeping up there, trying to compete with these high street stores like New Look, and I’m sorry, but the quality just isn’t the same, therefore, you cannot charge the same prices.
I recently bought BoKhalid a pair of shorts, plain navy shorts for Summer, I won’t say the shop name, but this shop was charging 8kd, now with the current exchange rate, that’s around 16 pounds in UK money…….for a pair of PLAIN, NAMELESS shorts…….. they are of similar quality to say, Burtons or Blue Inc in UK, they should be around 3.5kd for the quality of the material. That’s how much you could buy a pair of shorts in River Island for.
Now, let’s go back to the food. Today, I purchased an AXE deodorant. These sell for around 1$ in the states………… YES 1$- that’s 280FILS……… I purchased one today for 1kd…695fils…….That’s 5 DOLLARS………
I head up to Nokhita Mall last night to purchase a few dishdashas for Oodie. Summer time means it’s dishdasha season, for whatever reason, Oodie spent the whole of last summer in dishdashas. I passed a small booth and proceeded to find Oodie’s size from the rail of dishdashas… How much did the guy tell me the dishdasha was? I couldn’t believe it – 4kd! 4 dinar for a kids dishdasha for the house, are you kidding me? They cost a dinar in Fahaheel! Well, at least they did a few years ago, I’m planning on heading up there next week to see….
It saddens me that the food products are increasing in price, local products are now almost the same as buying the international stuff that is shipped in from UK/USA. So, I may as well for pay for good quality food from back home if I’m going to pay the same for local stuff. A brocolli is costing the guts of 3.5kd these days, I’ve seen a few for less but not very often……..
WHAT IS GOING ON KTOWN? Tax free yet somehow it doesn’t seem like it anymore. Our souq bargains are no longer bargains, our local produce is no longer cheap, our local watermelons even cost a dinar and a half now and we used to pay a dinar.
What do you guys think? Prices rising ridiculously high? I seriously wonder how these guys cleaning the streets are affording to live now. Very sad.
P.S Mr Primark, if you are reading, we would like a store here, please. Thank you
