# Online Shopping



## dubai13 (Dec 21, 2010)

Hi Everyone

Been in Dubai for a couple of months now, new to the forum however so thankyou in advance for any help you might be able to give me. 

After settling in etc I still have a few questions that i cannot find any answers to on google or in these forums and would be greatful for any help anyone can give me.

Firstly I am amazed at the lack of online shops, for example in the UK if i wanted some clothes or sports equipment etc etc etc i would simply go online and order it. Are there laws here that prevent online shops from opening or are they just very hard to find, or not really been looked into yet?

Secondly does anyone know of a specialist sports store where I can buy rugby/hockey equipment? I am aware there are many in the malls however again, they are very overpriced and only stock a very limited and general range of products?

Finally again a specialised question, does anyone know if nutritional supplements from brands such as maximuscle and SIS etc are banned in Dubai as they are immensely popular in the UK and many other countries but cannot seem to find them anywhere here.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate any answers you can give


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## Maestro (Dec 20, 2010)

Hi welcome..

To answer your first question there are actually quite a few online shops... they are usually never advertised much or not 'mainstream' like they are in the US/UK. I personally run one of my own for festive products and have studied the market quite a bit.

For your rugby/hockey equipment.. since you've said you know about the ones in the malls I'm not sure where else you can go or if there are any specialized stores.. Some of the ones in the malls are pretty huge and "should" cater to all sporting needs. You might want to check out Decathalon.. I know that's the newest sporting goods superstore in Dubai.. its at Mirdiff City Center.

No idea about the suppliments


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

1. Online shopping is still very much a foreign concept here, for some unknown reason. You can however still do your shopping in the UK and use Ship & Shop to have your purchases sent to you.

2. Sorry, can't help. I would have recommended Go Sports but presume that you have already visited them. Push comes to shove, maybe you could order online from the UK?

3. Sorry, can't help but it may be worthwhile going into a few shops and asking them whether they stock the brand. If it's banned, I'm sure that they will tell you or alternatively, offer similar products. I'm sure that there at least 2 shops in Marina Mall that have nutritional supplements on sale.


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## dubai13 (Dec 21, 2010)

Thankyou both for your replies

I know what you say is true about online shopping being a forein concept here but i find it very hard to believe that people and business are not pursuing it more aggresively considering the rate at which some companies are moving over here.

It made me think there must be e commerce laws etc that are preventing business from doing this but this does not seem to be the case! 

Strange!


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Shopping in the malls is part of the culture here. Odd and strange thing asI can not stand to have to walk into a mall to walk around some behemeth place to find one store but it just is how it is. Or just order it online from your home country....


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

If online shopping was popular here, I'd never leave the house. No "Hiiiii siiiiiir" every 5 seconds, no locals shouting at you after their kids crash into you because they're wearing them stupid trainers with the wheels in the sole, no being made to feel like absolute scum for telling the guy in the car park you don't want your car washed, no gagging from the stench coming from the Swiss Arabian stalls that seem to be everywhere, no being followed around shops by over-eager shop assistants who make you feel like you're a shop-lifter. It would be bliss.


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## dubai13 (Dec 21, 2010)

Seems like there is a massive opportunity and potential here for online shops then!


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## Maestro (Dec 20, 2010)

That's why I quit my job at IBM recently. I'm doing what I've always wanted to.. diving into the world of E-commerce. 

However one of the biggest hurdles to being successful as an e-shop is exactly what Jynxgirl said though.. the culture is to go out to buy the stuff here - atleast for the masses and masses=money. All the current website establishments are having to go through some sort of 'change management' effort to get people shopping online.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

I'm setting up a specialist online shop, go live in the new year. There are many reasons why the industry is still in it's infancy. As mentioned shopping is a pastime here, not just a necessity and a trip to the mall is a day/evening out hence the ice rinks, amusement areas, cinemas etc.

The other factor (which thankfully is disappearing) is the non-transparent "Best Price" culture that most retailers used to favour. Online you cannot set your price depending on if the person is wearing a dish dash, western ex-pat or new to Dubai.

However, probably the biggest hold back is the attitude of the banks. There are no banks or private companies that provide "payment gateways" for businesses to use, a lot of locally issued credit cards won't work online and none will offer adequate protection with regards to online fraud.

And there is a load more but don't have the will to type out. That said there is a real need and attitudes are slowly changing otherwise I wouldn't be doing what I was doing but there is a bit to go yet.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

dubai13 said:


> I am aware there are many in the malls however again, they are very overpriced and only stock a very limited and general range of products?


Scratch the surface and Dubai is generally awful for shopping, today I took about 4 hours and had to visit 4 malls across Dubai to buy something as simple as an mp3 player. 



dubai13 said:


> does anyone know if nutritional supplements from brands such as maximuscle and SIS etc are banned in Dubai


There is a small cubicle in Deira City Centre that do Whey protein and that kind of thing. No idea if this is the same stuff though.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

re. supplements, a friend told me he orders his stuff online from Netrition and all gets delivered to his door, no hassle.


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## jander13 (Mar 12, 2009)

You can pretty much order anything you want from netrition, prices are lower than in dubai stores and it is usually delivered to your door in 3 days time. choose fedex as the delivery method and they do call you before coming to your house.

shipping fees may seem rather high but trust me if you were to buy them from here you would probably pay even more.


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