List of hyper/supermarket chains in Dubai
Carrefour
http://www.carrefouruae.com
This French hypermarket chain has several stores across Dubai. The main stores are in Deira City Center and Mall of the Emirates. They are one-stop shops where you can stock up on anything you could possibly need while you pick up your weekly groceries. They stock electronic goods and household appliances at very competitive prices. They also have a good range of camping and outdoor equipment, toys and affordable clothing. The large size of the stores means that their prices are much more competitive than those of other supermarkets in the city.
Choithram
http://www.choithram.com
Choitrham’s is one of the largest supermarket chains in Dubai with stores in many neighborhoods throughout the city. They have a wide range of imported goods and their prices are more competitive than other neighborhood grocery stores. This has made them a popular choice for many expatriates.
Geant
http://geant-dubai.com
– Ibn Batutta Mall
French hypermarket Geant has a reputation for being one of the more upmarket hypermarkets in Dubai. It won a lot of support by being the first store in the city to encourage the use of jute bags by charging extra for plastic bags. It is also situated at the very south of the city in new Dubai. As with other hypermarkets, it has a very good selection of imported goods, fresh produce, household appliances, electronics and affordable clothing.
Hyperpanda
– Festival City
Although relatively new to Dubai, Hyperpanda is one of the largest and most popular hypermarket chains in Saudi Arabia. The Festival City store is the first outside Saudi Arabia. However, it is quickly gaining a good reputation for fresh produce and a wide variety of products and very competitive prices. Household appliances, electronics, affordable clothing and outdoor equipment are also available under the same roof making this a very popular choice for both expats and non-expats.
Lulu Hypermarket
http://uae.luluhypermarket.com
Lulu hypermarkets are very popular in the Gulf region and are well-known for stocking a wide variety of regional products. The relatively local sourcing of goods means that they are able to keep prices down. Another reason for their popularity comes from their reputation for always having very fresh produce.
Organic Foods and Cafe
http://www.organicfoodsandcafe.com
– the Greens and Dubai Mall
The Organic Foods and Cafe supermarkets are the only supermarkets in Dubai that are certified as being all organic. They also stock a wide range of gluten free products.
Park ‘n’ Shop
– Safa
This small shop in Safa is well-known throughout the expat community. If you’re missing something from home and can’t find it anywhere else, make a trip to this store. As well as a great selection of products, they stock common household items, stationery, DVDs, books and toys. Prices are a little higher than other stores, reflecting the fact that most of the products have been imported.
Spinney’s
Despite high prices, many expats find that they do a lot of their shopping at Spinney’s. They stock a good range of brands that are familiar to Europeans, Americans, Australians and South Africans. The stores have very popular bakery sections with breads and cakes cooked in store throughout the day. At the back of the stores are sections for non-Muslims where you can stock up on pork and bacon.
Union Coop
http://www.ucs.ae
These stores are very popular with both expatriates and people in the local Emirati community for their reasonable prices. You may not find all the products that you had back home, but these are certainly stores where you can stock up on the basics. They also have a very good reputation for having very fresh fruit and vegetables.
Waitrose
http://www.thedubaimall.com/
– Dubai Mall, Marina Mall
For the serious cook, Waitrose is a dream come true. Ingredients never before dreamt of in Dubai are there on the shelves for the taking. And there is a large section devoted to appliances from which you could equip your kitchen to professional standards. For those less inclined to cook, the deli section is bigger than many small supermarkets ensuring that shoppers really are spoiled for choice. Another big attraction of the store is a large section of organic goods. Unfortunately, the prices make this store prohibitively expensive for the majority of people in the city.
