After few failed attempts in previous years, there has been now a new surge in electronics e-store model within Kuwait’s business. Although Amazon and E-Bay have been the front runners for online shoppers, but due to increased shipping prices and customs clearance headaches, shoppers are looking for alternatives within the local e-market.

There have been past failures due to local customers preferring to visit brick ‘n mortar outlets which are all within driving distances for most of them, to being reluctant to use their credit cards and/or KNet cards due to fear of it being misused by the e-stores. One couldn’t blame them for this as the contributing factor for this was that previous e-outlets couldn’t prove the viability of their business models. Basically it has been a trust issue and also one of convenience.

One of the other reasons was availability of choices/options on the e-outlets. Traditionally business were using the so called e-outlets to maintain a brochure site and trying to entice the customers to visit the brick n mortar stores to actually complete the purchases. Most of the information was not being updated online, and again customers felt comfortable transacting the purchases physically within the actual stores itself.

But things have changed dramatically with many main stream business now going full scale to e-store model. And if you look at these major e-outlets one can see that they are now updated by the hour and with many offering exciting deals for online purchases. Some have opted for ‘hot deals’ method, while others are offering special packaged offers when you buy online. Overall the e-store model is now heating up in Kuwait and hopefully by next year there will be a very healthy competition in the market.

Hopefully the next ones in the market would include major outlets like Carrefour, Eureka, Electrozan, Sultan Center etc.

As of now here are the big e-stores of Kuwait:

Al-Ghanim [Xcite] [LINK]

The biggest main stream player has entered the market and this will kick up some heat in the race.

Xcite Al-Ghanim

Blink [LINK]

Another local business from Hawally’s famous Bin-Khaldoun street has gone online-onsite model

Blink

eHaveAll [LINK]

A new comer in the field, which originally started earlier this year under the name of electroniya but has now re-branded itself. Big plus for this site is that it has both English and Arabic version of the site.

eHaveAll

Cavaraty [LINK]

Dealing primarily with mobile phones accessories this is also fairly popular in the online market

Cavaraty