Supermarkets

Tallybait, you're the shiznit of Dubai supermarkets! ^.^ I do my groceries at Carrefour MOE, and pork shopping at Choithrams The Greens. I have yet to try the FISH MARKET some people are raving about! They say it's huge and soooo cheap! How true? And is it worth the visit? It's quite far from where we stay :P

Is it just me. I use to shop at Lulu few yrs back and yes it was cheaper. Then I switched to Car4 because of the loyalty card and a bonus for me its in the mall in case I need to pick anything else on my way while am there and I found I've saved more. I practically find everything I want in there now. Few weeks back I thought I go to Lulu for a change and I did the same shopping and came out spending a lot more... only pop in there for Ribena seems to be the only place that stocks it and their fish meat and chicken. I only go to Spinneys and Waitrose for pork and anything British which is not stocked up in the car4 supermarkets ie Jaffa cakes which I cannot find anywhere else part from Spinneys. Again, I use to shop at Geant found it got expensive (only go there if am clothes shopping at ibn; whilst am there pick up a few bits. At the end of the day doesn't matter where you shop as long you can get everything you want and need under one roof except Pork and Alcohol and in my case Ribena! and of course its within your shopping budget! Happy Shopping! <em>edited by Fr!zzyBusY on 02/04/2015</em>

For veggies you can't beat the Farmers Market on the Terrace at Emirates Towers it is only open on a friday morning but is all locally grown stuff sold by the farmers that grow it (unlike the ripe market). You choose how much you want of stuff, the veggies last well as they are freshly picked and i find it cheaper then the super markets for most stuff and it is organic. Kale and spinach are 5dhs a bunch!!!It is very farmer focused, so no craft things like ripe i much prefer it, although they do have a coffee stall, honey stall and baker and spice have a stall selling breads and cakes. For fish i use Waitrose, as the fish monger is very good at prep and knowlegeable. For all other goods i tend to use Geant, they are quite in the week and quality of food is good, the bread is lovely! I tend to only use carrefore if i want turkey or rabbit as they are always available there and hit and miss in other shops. Price wise i find carrefore, geant, coop and lulu all much of a muchness. Spinney's, Waitrose, park n shop and choitrams are more focused to western expats these days and prices are generally higher but they also stock things you can't get elsewhere so they are good for a few bits. Happy shopping!!!

I was shocked at the difference in prices between Spinneys and Carrefour the other day. I usually get the Babybel red cheese circles pack of 5 small cheeses from Carrefour for AED 8. Spinneys had the EXACT SAME THING for AED 19!!! (I checked it wasn't some special imported type, was exactly the same as Carrefours). Sometimes Spinneys markup is just ridiculous.

I used to do the bulk of my shopping at Spinneys and sometimes Carrefour but switched to the Coop last year and never looked back. The only things I don't buy from Coop are meat, oat bran and the prepackaged rocca salads which I pick up from Spinneys or Park and Shop. I used to be a bit biased and didnt really check Coop out before as the one near me at Safa Park is pretty grim in terms of layout. I thought it was too local and I wouldn't find all my usual brands. This is totally not the case - they have almost everything - Heinz, McVities, Ariel, all the good toiletries, great selection of pet food upstairs, really cheap nuts and spices and baking supplies. They even have little stands around the store with special US products etc. The fruit and veg selection is very fresh and plenty of organicsoptions. My top buy at the moment is large wooden tray of strawberries for about 35dhs which is same price as those small tasteless boxes in Spinneys. I just wanted to share my experience as I reckon I save around 300dhs a week on my shopping going to Coop instead of Spinneys. Really worth a look!

I used to do the bulk of my shopping at Spinneys and sometimes Carrefour but switched to the Coop last year and never looked back. The only things I don't buy from Coop are meat, oat bran and the prepackaged rocca salads which I pick up from Spinneys or Park and Shop. I used to be a bit biased and didnt really check Coop out before as the one near me at Safa Park is pretty grim in terms of layout. I thought it was too local and I wouldn't find all my usual brands. This is totally not the case - they have almost everything - Heinz, McVities, Ariel, all the good toiletries, great selection of pet food upstairs, really cheap nuts and spices and baking supplies. They even have little stands around the store with special US products etc. The fruit and veg selection is very fresh and plenty of organicsoptions. My top buy at the moment is large wooden tray of strawberries for about 35dhs which is same price as those small tasteless boxes in Spinneys. I just wanted to share my experience as I reckon I save around 300dhs a week on my shopping going to Coop instead of Spinneys. Really worth a look!

I agree, where you shop also depends on where you live. I go every 2 days almost to Carrefour Xpress, and every 2 weeks to the Big Carrefour in Mirdif and sometimes to Spinneys (because that is the closest to where I live). Im not a good planner and realize we could safe so much more if I would plan meals ahead. See also this link on cheapest supermarkets in UAE: [url=http://gulfbusiness.com/2013/06/revealed-top-10-cheapest-supermarkets-in-the-uae/#.VQkQFY6Uf5g'>link[/url'> <em>edited by Axelle on 18/03/2015</em>

No wanting to cause a dispute, but I must say that the Carrefour Expess is more expensive than the big Carrefour I find that almost everything is a few Dhs. dearer, and so I try not to use it.

Everyone here seems to have the major supermarkets covered. Where you shop is really going to depend on where you live, especially for buying fridge/freezer products. The worst thing is buying a bunch of things for the freezer and coming home to find they have all defrosted. I do most of my daily shopping in geant (since its near my house) they have a good butcher, but I feel some items are a little on the expensive side. Coop and lulu are great for buying all the cleaning supplies and detergents, canned foods, fruit and veg. Mostly if you want to buy anything in bulk. Carrfour also has some great offers, the smaller branches don't have a large selection and I've noticed they tend to only stock the smaller sizes of laundry detergents and other cleaning products. They also seem to have the more expensive products without the cheaper alternative brands. It's nice to visit one of the larger Carrfour's at least once a month. Park and shop is also nice to stop by every few weeks. They have nice breads and lifco has good meat and vegis. Spinney's is nice to visit after all the essentials are already purchased for imported items. I also occasionally visit safest way to buy American junk food.

What a great thread. Lulu hypermarket has a small selection of goodies (incl. chocolate) from the UK and the US. Both Lulu and Geant stock [i'>some[/i'> [b'>Iceland frozen products[/b'>. You never know what you might find if you have a look around. Recently I've found Glebe Farm gluten free oats and cassava chips at Geant; Stonewall Kitchen Roast Garlic Bread Spread at Al Madina and Virginity Soap (!) at Swiss Mart, Wasl Square ;) So does C4

What a great thread. Lulu hypermarket has a small selection of goodies (incl. chocolate) from the UK and the US. Both Lulu and Geant stock [i'>some[/i'> Iceland frozen products. You never know what you might find if you have a look around. Recently I've found Glebe Farm gluten free oats and cassava chips at Geant; Stonewall Kitchen Roast Garlic Bread Spread at Al Madina and Virginity Soap (!) at Swiss Mart, Wasl Square ;)

Oh, and one more market ;) Union Coop. Emirati owned and very popular among Emiratis but it's open to everyone. They probably have the cheapest prices but the range isn't as big as at Carrefour or even Spinneys and I've never been impressed with the quality. But many people shop there happily. They have a big store in Al Barsha mall, as well as scattered across the more traditional areas of Dubai. Where is the 'like' button when I want it, your post above is great - so informative, thank you, CP x

The real downside of going to the smaller C4 Expresses over the big hypermarket is that I have a feeling they dump the older produce at the expresses, either that or the turnover isn't fast enough so you end up with more shriveled looking produce. And of course the range is much smaller. I've been surprised at some of the more exotic things that can be found at the big C4, such as quinces at times, which won't happen for the smaller Expresses. does anyone know, are the small Carrefour Markets equally priced than the big Carrefours? The general pricing is exactly the same. The only difference is that they don't have as many special offers on. When I need a lot of household items like washing powder and cleaning stuff, I tend to go to one of the larger ones.

If you're sticking to the metro you can get to Carrefour at MoE and Prime Gourmet by metro easily. The metro stop after/before MoE is literally in front of Prime Gourmet in the Gold and Diamond Park. I'm new too and was a bit sick of the usual run of the mill supermarkets that were overpriced and 'nice' (and within walking distance). So I set out to Al Barsha Mall to the Co-op. I was pleasantly surprised - the quality of fruit and veg and other grocery items was good and well priced. I managed to get all I needed (and more) for a fraction of what I had paid at the 'other' stores. The fish was really fresh too. The only thing I did not buy was meat but then I have not been impressed with most of the meat so far. Must try Prime Gourmet.. It will be easier when I am driving as I'm using public transport and taxis. - I'll have a really good look around then. Thanks Tallybalt for the rundown - great list...

Thanks Geordie expat! That is great news, I live near a Carrefour Market. In Europe a smaller market of the same brand is typically more expensive, but here I had not done a comparison yet.

For the lazy cooks Carefour now stocks some Aunt Bessies stuff which is cheaper than Choitrhams

does anyone know, are the small Carrefour Markets equally priced than the big Carrefours? The general pricing is exactly the same. The only difference is that they don't have as many special offers on. When I need a lot of household items like washing powder and cleaning stuff, I tend to go to one of the larger ones.

does anyone know, are the small Carrefour Markets equally priced than the big Carrefours?

That is actually a good point GE - please note you can't buy wine/beer/spirits etc, like you can do in other countries with your grocery shop. You need to apply for a license via MMI or A&E - if you are on your hubby's visa, he will have to give you a NOC (no objection certificate) letter to say is ok that you buy alcohol. MMI & A&E stores are based near most large western supermarkets areas, i.e. not union coop

I used to go to Park n shop at DIP as it was always quiet, I hate shopping in busy supermarkets! but the prices are really high. I tried Lulu and was very pleased, the prices are good the fruit and veg is good quality and very inexpensive and there is lots of space to push the trolley. I tried Union Coop at Al Barsha last week, it was good but not as cheap as Lulu. If you find yourself at Festival City visiting Ikea, try Hyper Panda while you are there, it is cheap and you can stock up on basics at a very good price.

This reminds me! ...I am moving to jvt soon, where do most of you shop if you live there? spinneys is a little pricey, so does anyone know where is the next affordable supermarket like Carrefour or similar in good distance? Tia! Depends on what we're doing at the time, but if we shop on a weekend, we tend to go to the Green Community DIP. There's a Carrefour Express, Park n Shop and Choitrams. None of them next to each other but it works for us. We can also always make a visit to A&E and MMI while we're there. :biggrin: There's also a Milestone supermarket in JVT, bit pricey, but handy if you need something urgently, and a small supermarket under one of the blocks of apartments on the main through road, along with a pharmacy. <em>edited by Geordie expat on 16/03/2015</em>

I'm new too and was a bit sick of the usual run of the mill supermarkets that were overpriced and 'nice' (and within walking distance). So I set out to Al Barsha Mall to the Co-op. I was pleasantly surprised - the quality of fruit and veg and other grocery items was good and well priced. I managed to get all I needed (and more) for a fraction of what I had paid at the 'other' stores. The fish was really fresh too. The only thing I did not buy was meat but then I have not been impressed with most of the meat so far. Must try Prime Gourmet.. It will be easier when I am driving as I'm using public transport and taxis. - I'll have a really good look around then. Thanks Tallybalt for the rundown - great list...

If you're feeling adventurous then there is the fruit and veg market out past global village and academic city exit. Quality is highly variable and you need to be picky but it's fun for a change and very cheap. Other than that I think Tallybait has it nailed down!

This reminds me! ...I am moving to jvt soon, where do most of you shop if you live there? spinneys is a little pricey, so does anyone know where is the next affordable supermarket like Carrefour or similar in good distance? Tia!

Great summary Tallybalt! I have to add that I do all my produce shopping at Co-op now (but the one behind the Shangri la hotel as I am close to Dubai Mall)- if the one in Barsha is the same, then the produce quality and variety has expanded massively in the last year or two. I can get everything I can get at Spinneys including berries, and ripe avocados. The only thing missing is the packaged baby spinach and foreign romaine lettuce. They have a very large selection of organic , good quality produce too. The Australian sweet potato and pumpkin is literally 1/2 the price of Spinneys!. They have European yellow fleshed potatoes (last week at least) for less than Spinneys sells the bland white fleshed Saudi potatoes. If I wanted to, I could fill my trolley with produce of very good quality, for under 300 dhs- the equivalent in Spinneys would be well over 1000 dhs. Also the fish counter and the meat counters are excellent- they have australian filet etc. When you shop there you realize how ridiculous the markups at Spinneys are- it should be illegal. Note I still have to go to Spinneys or Parkinshop for Bread, Pork,cereal and a few specialty items. Also the COOP by Safa park is terrible- if that is anyone's only experience with Co-op, try the new ones! Welcome to Dubai, where it is impossible to shop at just one Supermarket lol! <em>edited by Sue on 15/03/2015</em>

We shop and Carrefour for regular household stuff. I love the simple loyalty program they run.

Oh, and one more market ;) Union Coop. Emirati owned and very popular among Emiratis but it's open to everyone. They probably have the cheapest prices but the range isn't as big as at Carrefour or even Spinneys and I've never been impressed with the quality. But many people shop there happily. They have a big store in Al Barsha mall, as well as scattered across the more traditional areas of Dubai.

Because I'm a bored housewife ;) I cook a lot and so I've come to know most of the supermarkets in Dubai pretty well. Spinneys and Waitrose are more or less the same supermarket, under different names. They're both owned by the same local company (Waitrose is a UK supermarket but operates under the Spinneys license in the UAE). Same bakery, same range of goods, same meat, you get it. The advantage of Waitrose is proximity to you and a slightly broader range of Waitrose brand goods, and that it can be ever so slightly more expensive. They are very British focused, carrying staples imported from Britain that you can't find elsewhere. The bakery is quite good, excellent range of breads baked in house. They are both pretty supermarkets, attractive to the eye, and the quality is quite decent, but they are also expensive if you do all your weekly shop there. Choithrams has fewer stores than Spinneys, but there's one in the Marina as well. They are less British focused, although they do carry some Tescos products (another UK supermarket). They also carry a number of American goods that you won't find at Spinneys. Some people like their meat department, especially for kebabs and sausages. Choithrams also carries a range of Indian produce that you won't find at Spinneys. Choithram stores aren't as pretty or organized as Spinneys/Waitrose. Park 'n Shop is owned by South Africans (I think) and has a mix of British and South African focus. Traditionally their meat counter was the best in Dubai and when we came here eight years ago that was the case, but other stores are now giving them a run for their money. I used to frequent the Park 'n Shop on Al Wasl and it has a loyal following, but they are still expensive and I don't find their produce or range of goods as good as Spinneys, so I rarely go there now. Their pork, by the way, is among the cheapest in Dubai as they carry a lot of African pork and you'll often find good prices for packets of frozen bacon. Carrefour is a big French hypermarket. The two huge locations are Mall of Emirates and Mirdiff City Center. They also have a bunch of smaller Carrefour Express, with a more limited range and convenient for popping in to get the odd ingredient. The big hypermarkets have the biggest range of food available and it's pretty comprehensive. As you would expect from a French hypermarket, the cheese counter is excellent and fairly priced. The range of Carrefour brand goods, from pastas to biscuits, is also quite good quality. The bakery is average. Produce is pretty good, both locally sourced and imported, plus a whole range of organic produce. People will debate over whether the produce at Carrefour is as good as Spinney's/Waitrose's, my opinion is that sometimes it's better at one and other times it's better at the other, and at the end of the day Carrefour has by far the best prices. I don't buy meat at Carrefour, I find it disappointing and lower quality. Geant is a slightly inferior version of Carrefour. Lulu is another hypermarket, but with an Indian focus. People say it's even cheaper than Carrefour but I can't comment as I've never shopped there. There's a big store in Al Barsha, behind Mall of Emirates. Al Maya's is a small chain of small supermarkets. I find them very overpriced and the quality of meat and produce is inferior. They seem to capitalize on their locations more than their food. For speciality shopping: Prime Gourmet in the Gold and Diamond Park has the best meat in Dubai. Only beef and lamb. Most from Australia. Has both grain fed and grass fed beef if that's important to you. Prices for the quality you're getting is excellent. Galleries Lafayette at the Dubai Mall has a food hall with an outstanding cheese room and pork room. Organics Foods is an organic supermarket on Sheikh Zayed and there's another location in the Greens, too (if it's still there). As you can expect, it's organics and modeled after the American Whole Foods. Very expensive. I've never been impressed with the produce from there. Jones the Grocer is a boutique cafe/gourmet market. Expensive but lovely and sometimes has the odd ingredient you can't find in the other markets. Milk and Honey is a very upscale gourmet market with a location in the Springs and another one on the Palm. Ridiculously and shamefully expensive. I was with someone there once and she bought jacket potatoes, smoked salmon, sour cream, salad mix and the bill came out to over 300 AED! But they do have the odd luxury ingredient. Ripe Farm Shop and farmer's markets (weekends). Organic and locally raised produce. Quite good prices. You just cannot get the quality of produce you can find in the UK or the US, but for this region Ripe is not bad. They have farmer's markets on the weekend in Zabeel Park. For baked goods, there's quite a few French style bakeries now. I like Crumbs on Sheikh Zayed for their French bread. I used to love their croissants, but it's been disappointing for a while, but the bread is still good. Where do I shop? Most staples and dry goods from Carrefour. Most of my produce from Carrefour as well. Cheese from Carrefour. The trick is to go to Carrefour at 9 AM when they open and you get the best pickings. Some produce and some meat, usually pork, from Spinney's/Waitrose, along with breads. I buy Waitrose brand flour for when I bake. I often go to the Waitrose on Al Wasl as the nearby Spinney's car lot is always packed yet it's the same store! Prime Gourmet for most of our meat. Sometimes I'll stop in Ripe, when I can remember.