# Marina Grocery comparisons



## jgw99 (May 26, 2014)

Been searching for apartments as 30 day hotel accommodation almost up. Narrowed options down to a few areas with the Marina being one of them. Are grocery items that much more expensive in the area versus say the Greens or TECOM? I've been told by a few that it is. I could of course just go there and check it out but I am staying in the other end of town and would want to avoid a trip there today if I can.

Thanks in advance.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Cheapest place to buy groceries is Carrefour at Mall of Emirates. If you don't like crowds, then hit the store when it first opens at 9 AM Friday/Sat mornings. That's what I do and it's perfectly fine. 

The Spinneys/Waitrose/Choithrams/Park n Shop have pretty similar pricing across the board, in the various locations in New Dubai. I've never been a fan of Choithrams as their quality always seems inferior to Spinneys yet the prices are the same. But they do carry some American products the other markets don't. Spinneys/Waitrose obviously look "nicer."

Al Maya is a right ripoff. Avoid. The other small nameless markets scattered across the Marina and Tecom are always going to charge a premium as their service is based on convenience. Carrefour Express in Tecom has a smaller range of food than the big Carrefour and is slightly more expensive for the above reason.


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## jgw99 (May 26, 2014)

TallyHo said:


> Cheapest place to buy groceries is Carrefour at Mall of Emirates. If you don't like crowds, then hit the store when it first opens at 9 AM Friday/Sat mornings. That's what I do and it's perfectly fine.
> 
> The Spinneys/Waitrose/Choithrams/Park n Shop have pretty similar pricing across the board, in the various locations in New Dubai. I've never been a fan of Choithrams as their quality always seems inferior to Spinneys yet the prices are the same. But they do carry some American products the other markets don't. Spinneys/Waitrose obviously look "nicer."
> 
> Al Maya is a right ripoff. Avoid. The other small nameless markets scattered across the Marina and Tecom are always going to charge a premium as their service is based on convenience. Carrefour Express in Tecom has a smaller range of food than the big Carrefour and is slightly more expensive for the above reason.


Thanks! I actually found Waitrose(Dubai Mall) to be slightly cheaper than Carrefour(MOE). But I guess could all be dependent on a a specific grocery dept.

But great info. Much appreciated


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

Geant in Ibn Batuta Mall is another option that is convenient to the Marina. It has a particularly good fish dept. It's a bit easier to get in and out of than MoE as well as the construction there is a bit out of control right now.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

That is shocking news. Worthy of a headline in the Gulf News.



jgw99 said:


> Thanks! I actually found Waitrose(Dubai Mall) to be slightly cheaper than Carrefour(MOE). But I guess could all be dependent on a a specific grocery dept.
> 
> But great info. Much appreciated


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

jgw99 said:


> Thanks! I actually found Waitrose(Dubai Mall) to be slightly cheaper than Carrefour(MOE). But I guess could all be dependent on a a specific grocery dept.
> 
> But great info. Much appreciated


What do you tend to buy? I'm very surprised that you found Waitrose to be cheaper than Carrefour. Waitrose fruit and veg are mainly sold at rip-off prices and I don't understand why they have to drag apples and other fruit all the way from USA.

I tend to pick and mix with my shopping, mainly due to product availability rather than price. Some shops stocks certain things and others some other things. I find that it's not the grocery shopping that costs a fortune here; it's the eating and drinking out. Decent wine is very expensive here.


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## jgw99 (May 26, 2014)

QOFE said:


> What do you tend to buy? I'm very surprised that you found Waitrose to be cheaper than Carrefour. Waitrose fruit and veg are mainly sold at rip-off prices and I don't understand why they have to drag apples and other fruit all the way from USA.
> 
> I tend to pick and mix with my shopping, mainly due to product availability rather than price. Some shops stocks certain things and others some other things. I find that it's not the grocery shopping that costs a fortune here; it's the eating and drinking out. Decent wine is very expensive here.



Some deli food, granola bars and snacks.


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Surely Lulu deserves an honourable mention, I've always found then to be the cheapest of all.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I do a full grocery shop (for one person). This includes food for most of the week's meals, plus household supplies. Generally buy the same type of foodstuff - lots of fruits/vegs, some grains/bakery, some dairy, the occasional piece of meat, and restocking on olive oil, spices, cleaning supplies etc. The dry goods tend to be store brand. 

Waitrose is the most expensive. A typical shop there can be as much as an extra 100 AED over a comparable basket at Carrefour. Spinneys is slightly less expensive than Waitrose but only marginally so. 

But not everything is more expensive at Waitrose. Prices for some dairy items are fixed by the UAE government and are consistent at all supermarkets. And Waitrose will have certain produce items that are comparable in price with Carrefour, such as mushrooms for example. 

If you're a studious shopper and shop only by price you can probably manage to shop reasonably at Waitrose. But if you're doing a typical shop with a broad range of foodstuff, the costs always average out in Carrefour's favour.

I don't mind Waitrose costing more. I'd be happy to spend the money but the kicker is that while Waitrose produce looks lovely and fresh and juicy, it rarely tastes better than what I can buy at Carrefour. I've bought too many plump shiny apples at Waitrose that were dull and tasteless while the smaller and slightly bruised apples at C4 were juicier and full of flavour. Having been in the UAE for eight years and agonizing too much over food (what can I say, cooking is an enjoyable and relaxing pastime for me), I've concluded that spending extra is rarely worth it. The one exception is meat, which I tend to buy from Prime Gourmet or Park n Shop.


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