Alternative Shopping in the Middle East (Part 1)

The Kingdom is never dearth of shopping malls with stores that carry mechandise from the low end to high end ones. Admittedly, Jeddah and Riyadh can boast of more beautiful shopping malls but Dhahran cannot be far behind. From Mall of Dhahran to Rashid Mall, there's a thriving mall culture this side of the world. With not much options, expatriates' favorite past times here would be shopping and eating out. Anyone from here could attest to the joys of end of season sale when merchandises are almost given away during that period.

But there's another shopping sub-culture making their mark not only in Saudi Arabia but for the rest of the countries here in the Middle East...ONLINE SHOPPING.

The proliferation of these online shopping websites that offer by-invitation only membership to these exclusive shopping clubs is a proof of the popularity of shopping online.



MarkaVIP


MarkaVIP is an exclusive online shopping community. You need to be invited to be a member though (Click here for your invite). Sale campaigns for specific brands are only available for a brief period of time. Stocks of merchandise are limited as well. The company carries well-known brands (Emporio Armani, CK, D&G, Addidas, Polo ...) and some interesting ones (mostly from Turkey. The collection are not limited to apparel but also accessories, home decor and even electronics. The company headquarters are located in Amman, Jordan but they also have an office in Istanbul, Turkey.

Pros:
--- sale discounts as high as 80% on branded stuff
--- wide selection of merchandise
--- only SR19 shipping fees to Saudi Arabia
--- authentic goods guaranteed
--- requires iqama registration (for me is a good thing)
--- $10 referral bonus
--- deliveries via Aramex
--- weekly campaigns

Cons:
--- delivery time could take a month depending on the merchandise bought
--- additional hassle of sending credit card details via fax or email if card is issued outside of the Middle East

Items Purchased
--- Brand O'Clock Ladybug Wall Clock
--- Classic Gentlemen's Converse
--- Bomann Travel Hair Dryer

4 out of 5 stars

Sukar



From their website
Sukar.com is the first online private shopping club in the Middle East.
Launched in April 2010, Sukar.com offers exclusive access to unrivalled deals to a rapidly growing member base, boasting a premium selection of over 700 of the worlds top designer fashion and lifestyle brands in the women’s, men’s, children’s, beauty, gadgets, and home fashion categories at up to 90% off retail prices.

Sukar.com is an invitation-only club operating across nine countries, including the GCC, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. A team of over 100 employees (and growing) in the UAE, KSA, US, Europe and Turkey strive to source the best offers, with discounts of up to 90 per cent on retail prices. Based on the concept limited time period campaigns of two to three days only, products are offered on a first-come-first-served basis.

I have never tried their services but they are essentially similar to MarkaVIP in terms of their business model.