Where to buy what?
Dubai is a shoppers paradise and shops are well stocked with a range of goods offering something for everyone: cameras, carpets, electronics, fashion, gold & jewellery, perfumes and souvenirs to name just a few. Generally speaking, malls are a one-stop shop offering everything. However, there are some specific malls or districts that have more shops of one particular type for example, computer plaza in Bur Dubai or Karama for clothes. Dubai has perhaps one of the largest offerings of global brands at the best prices, be it for clothes, electronics, perfumes or watches.

Can you bargain?
Yes you can. However, while prices in shopping malls and the larger stores are fixed, the practice of bargaining is still fairly common in Dubai’s souks and smaller shops. The whole routine of arriving at a mutually agreeable price perhaps goes back to the hey days of trading, when the seller evaluated the amount that the buyer could potentially part with or his wares, quoted a price and then negotiated the ’final’ price. Both tourists and residents find this a fun way to shop and it is integral to the whole shopping experience.

How do you pay?
Credit cards (American Express, Diners Club, Master Card and Visa) and debit cards (Visa Electron) are widely accepted in all the shopping malls, supermarkets, and many of the stand-alone shops. However, most of the smaller grocery stores and shops in the souks generally take cash. Should you need to convert foreign currency into local currency, there are money exchanges and banks all over the city and in hotels.

What are the policies for refund & exchanges?
Like in any other city in the world, most stores have their own refund and exchange policies. Often these are printed out on the receipt given to you when you are done shopping. So, if you do believe that you may need to exchange an item, it is advisable to check with the cashier before you leave the store. Please also ensure that you retain the Invoice and receipt as this will be invariably required to at the time of exchange and refund.

Is there home delivery and shipping?
Many of the shops offer free home delivery particularly the supermarkets, furniture and white goods stores. For shipment overseas, there are a large number of local and international cargo and freight forwarding companies that handle ‘door-to-door’ delivery of the goods to your home country. Given Dubai’s location and position as a leading trading hub, prices are often very competitive. All you need to do is obtain a couple of quotes and select the best deal! Again with over 125 shipping lines and more than 120 airlines operating out of Dubai, both sea freight and air freight is equally easy. The mode of shipment will of course depend upon the size of the item(s) and urgency of delivery.