Dubai has gained somewhat of a reputation for draining the Dirham rather than stretching it. Lucky for our readers, we have our budgeting experts, Selma & Susan of Dirham Stretcher, to save the day as well as your wallet! Here are their top five places to go to bag a bargain.

Brands For Less

With multiple stores around Dubai, chances are that you would have already walked, if not driven right past one of these gems. Brands For Less stock more than 500 different brands and with a turn over of stock that is extremely impressive. You will find all kinds of items including clothes, bags, shoes and household good with well-known name tags such as Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Nike, Michael Kors, Coach, Levis and Adidas. It can be quite dangerous and a bit of a rabbit hole where you’ll find yourself looking through the aisles for hours.

Just be sure to check it out regularly for new pieces! And it couldn’t be easier with their very own App. It is extremely easy to use and has daily updates with the latest stock. Popular items sell very quickly as the prices are hard often hard to beat so keep your fingers on the buttons with this one. 

Image via groupon.ae

Toys For Less / Homes For Less

These two are sister stores of Brands For Less and are just as noteworthy. If you have a kid here in the UAE, then you’ll be all too familiar with having to splurge on gift buying for the onslaught of birthday parties that happen each year and how painfully apparent the price divide is between here and back home.  And speaking of home, it’s always nice to have a place to go to stock up on bits for impromptu dinner invites. The stock with these, just as with BFL is also regularly changed and many products are available to purchase online or through the App.

You will even find popular toys and household items such as Melissa & Doug, Crayola, Disney and Jamie Oliver, Maxwell & Williams and Ralph Lauren, just to name a few. 

Image via hidubai.com

Dikochi Factory Outlet

This place is a hidden gem that not many people know about (yet). They’re located inside the Jebel Ali Free Zone and stock many well-known brands such as Lacoste, Geox, Desigual, Reebok, New Balance and many, many more. Although there is no eCommerce or App for this one, the actual store is decently sized to find what you’re looking for. There are even some toys available, however the range is quite small.  

Image via Hidubai.com

Lucky Furniture

This furniture and handicrafts store is a gem.  Opened in 1999, Lucky Furniture has a huge range and you could spend hours here just browsing. It’s an especially good find if you are after wooden furniture for the house with amazing prices – so much so, that you won’t ever find this store with a sale as they are so competitive.

Image direct from source

Mesco (Middle East Stationary & Trading Company)

Another hidden gem in the UAE is Mesco. If you have lived here long enough, you probably would have heard of this store, but for most of us, this is a new gold mine. Located near Deira, this store has all your stationery, office, school and art supplies sorted. It has everything you’re looking for plus some extras such as office furniture. Items are well priced compared to other more popular stores around the UAE and Dubai. 

Image via Hidubai.com