Online Shopping in Muscat

Let’s talk about online shopping in Muscat. Because I have a lot to share. If you currently have a sceptical view towards it, like my unenlightened-self once did, then you really need to know that it is entirely possible and incredibly convenient.

Here are the online stores that I have had experience in shopping with:

Local businesses (Oman-based)

  • Talabat is probably the most well-established food delivery app in Oman. You can order food from restaurants, groceries, flowers and even pharmacy items. Live tracking is provided and you can pay by card or pay cash on delivery (COD). I have always had positive experiences and the food has been delivered on time (more or less!).
  • InstaShop – now this is a company I have been super impressed with. This UAE-based business has recently started its services in Oman and has made life so much easier. Whenever I realise I am out of something or need a particular ingredient, I don’t have to worry about going to the shops. The app, similar to Talabat, is linked to an array of restaurants, hypermarkets, pharmacies and more.

    I usually order from Al Meera Hypermarket via InstaShop, and in the past, they have literally picked, packed and delivered my order to my door within 20 minutes. 20 minutes! It would take me 20 minutes alone to get ready and get to Al Meera. Like Talabat, you can also view live tracking of orders. I have been using it for a while now, and have noticed that they have made improvements to the app over time – this is great to see.

    I did, however, have a bad experience with InstaShop once, with my Al Meera order delayed for several hours, but the customer service in response was excellent and it was a one-off issue, to be fair. An advisor called me straight away from the UAE office, almost within the same minute after I submitted a complaint and later I received points for the inconvenience I experienced for that order. You have the option of paying by card or COD.
  • Rafeeq is another multi-purpose shopping app. I ordered from them once. Delivery was prompt(ish), they had competitive prices and it seemed like they had a good range of items, but out of stock items revealed themselves when I was notified last minute by the delivery man. So it was a good thing I was paying COD. The state of some of the items that were delivered were a little questionable too. They were not sealed and I would have expected them to have been (makeup items generally are sealed, are they not?).
  • Matalan has a number of stores across Muscat and they offer click and collect or delivery. I had problems using my card on their website though, I am not sure whether this is because it is not a card from an Omani bank or some other reason, but anyhow, in the end I paid COD. Generally, I don’t think COD is acceptable for Matalan, but I think they made an exception for me considering that my card payment could not be processed on their website. My order was delivered within 5 days.
  • Instagram businesses – there are so many different things that individuals sell on Insta – books, sensory activity sets, desi clothes, you name it. And many times you come across some really unique handmade products, that you would never find in the bigger shops.

    I have purchased from a fair few stores on the gram and sellers can be so lovely, but honestly, I am always wary of whether or not the business I am interacting with is legitimate. Some people tend to set up unregistered home-based businesses and although I understand they put in a lot of effort to their activities, it’s just not fair to the rest of us who are following the law and are not having a chance to earn (sorry, that was a mini rant sneaked in, had to be said).

    Also, be mindful items can look drastically different in reality compared to in pictures (not always, but it can happen once in a while), as I unfortunately became a lot more aware of recently with a “not what I expected” purchase. All the businesses I have dealt with have accepted COD only.
  • First Fashion is a Pakistani clothing boutique based in Ruwi. I think they have a second branch in Seeb. During one of the “CovEids” they kindly sent me photos of their products via WhatsApp, based on my requests, and helped me to ensure the sizing was correct. My order included a beautiful dress for my daughter, and was delivered in good time with COD. Delivery cost 2 OMR.
  • Al Besat is a rug company that offers a rug cleaning service. They picked up and dropped off my rug for no extra charge and did a fantastic job of making it look like new. I mean, they did come the day after they had said would, but, overall I received a really good service from them and would definitely recommend them as the go-to company for cleaning rugs. I interacted with them mostly via WhatsApp and they charged 3 OMR per square metre for my shaggy threaded rug.
  • Beisat are a great company that have ready stock of some Shein products in Oman (see below for more about Shein). This is very convenient, as you can essentially avoid longer shipping times and receive items, that you will find on the Shein website too, within the same day. I made an order and expected next day delivery as mentioned, but, to my surprise, I received a call for same day delivery and my parcel was dropped off within hours. I opted for COD but I think you can pay by card too. They have a review and points system, similar to Shein. Delivery can be on the same day, or the next day, or within 5 days, depending on availability. Delivery costs 1.7 OMR but is free for orders above 15 OMR.

Businesses based outside of Oman

  • Namshi, a UAE based online store, have a great selection of good quality items and offer really good sales every now and then on branded items. You can even search for discount codes to apply during checkout to save a few extra riyals (well, baisas mostly).

    But, on two occasions I found myself feeling quite disappointed with their service. I received returns due to out-of-stock items wrongly advertised as in stock. Despite paying with my card both times, the returns came in the form of Namshi credit. The reason why I had fallen in this situation twice was because I ordered the same items again thinking they were in stock, and then it turned out that those items actually remained out-of-stock (so why not remove them from the website if you have become aware of this already?!). I did end up spending the Namshi credit since I do shop here often, but it was fair of me to expect the return to come in the form I had paid in, especially as they were at fault. Twice. What if I had not wanted to buy from them anymore, what good would the Namshi credit be to me then?

    Currently I am awaiting a delivery from them, but the time to process the order is taking ages. I contacted Namshi support via their WhatsApp service which seems to be new (or maybe I just have not noticed it before) and I received a reply straight away. Their response time to their online complaints form is prompt too. I was told by the advisor that they are currently experiencing delays on the logistics sides of things, hence the delay in processing my order. Here’s hoping it arrives soon!

    The other thing is I do wish they had a review and points system, similar to Shein (again, read on below for more details about Shein). Also, note that sometimes items are shipped from locations outside of the UAE so sometimes you would have to account for up to 12 days for shipping – this is always highlighted in the product description if this is the case.

    Reading this back, it sounds a bit negative. But don’t get me wrong, generally, I would say shopping at Namshi is great, mostly due to the selection of items and the quick turnaround time. Usually, if the items are coming from the UAE (and there are no logistics problems!), the order is delivered within 3-5 working days. The delivery charge to Oman is $8 (USD) but shipping is free for orders over $54. You can pay by card or have the option of paying COD for an extra charge.
  • Mumzworld is as close to the Disney Store as you are going to get in Oman (especially considering there are very few physical Disney stores left in the world… *cries*). Although going back to Namshi, they host this great brand called Half Moon Bay which offer a nice selection of Disney products, and some other brands also cover Disney. At Mumzworld, you can find a massive range of Disney branded items. Okay, I should probably stop with the Disney now and give you some different information.

    Anyhow, Mumzworld is a leading online store across the Middle East, also headquartered in the UAE, and stock a really good variety of products, for both mothers and children. The prices are not bad either, if you purchase items on sale. The only downside is the high delivery charge. Delivery costs are weight-based and range from 7 to 50 OMR! Payment is only accepted online, and there is no option for COD. Orders under 30kg are delivered via air within 7 working days and orders over 30kg take up to 10 working days to ship via land. But do note again, just like Namshi, some of their items are shipped from outside of the UAE, and so delivery times can be longer, and these are specified. I am not sure why they do not offer free shipping (to countries other than the UAE) over a particular amount, as most stores tend to do – I wish they did. Then I would probably order more Disney items for my daughter. Okay, I mentioned it again, so what? It’s not like I’m talking about Bruno, no, no, no…
  • Sephora, everyone loves Sephora. But there are two issues (1) there are no Sephora stores in Oman and (2) the cost to ship to Oman is quite high at 6 OMR. But if you are making a big order and spending over 60 OMR, delivery is free, so it works out then. I received my order within 5 days. Payment is only online and COD is not available.
  • Nashaya is a UAE-based fashion store offering a range of sarees, suits, lehengas and more. I ordered a beautiful, great quality saree for a really decent price. I was told that it was shipped from India. Initially, I came across Nashaya on Facebook and made my order via WhatsApp, but later I discovered they have a website too. They mention here that they have a tailoring service, but when I requested this for the saree blouse they told me it was not possible. My order arrived in under 2 weeks and I paid COD.
  • SHEIN offers an incredible range of low cost items from China. Clothing, shoes, accessories, homeware, the list is endless…you can find so much on there. The app is very user-friendly and there are so many helpful features.

    The sizing guides are usually very detailed and accurate. The customer reviews allow you to find out more about the product quality and sizing so you can make an informed decision. All customers have the opportunity to leave honest reviews and photos of items purchased and earn points from doing so. You can also receive points in other ways, including confirming deliveries, clicking on virtual prizes during live Shein shows and checking in everyday on the app.

    Discount codes are always available, some are mentioned on the app or website, some can be found from a simple Google search, and some are shared by the “influencers” in Oman who happen to be reps for Shein.

    Shipping costs about 3.09 OMR but is free for orders over roughly 34.4 OMR. You can pay via card or COD for an extra charge. I have found delivery usually takes 3 weeks but it is worth the wait. My last order somehow arrived in 8 days, which was amazing. You can track the order, and the courier company used most of the time seems to be Aramex, but sometimes ASYAD is used too. So as well as tracking the order on the Shein website or app, you can also track the order by chatting to the Aramex bot via WhatsApp or on the ASYAD website once the order has been shipped.

    Seriously, if all online stores applied the same features that Shein does, e-commerce would be a much more seamless experience.

There are many other stores (international and Oman-based) that also operate online and offer delivery across Oman too – although please note I cannot vouch for their reliability since I have not yet used their online services. Here are a few more that I am aware of:

A lot of the above stores have apps too, which usually offer a more user-friendly experience than websites.

Things to note:

  • I have found that these companies usually use the shipping services of Aramex to deliver to the customer. As I mentioned earlier, Aramex have this nifty bot you can chat with over WhatsApp to stay up-to-date on what is happening with your delivery. Other courier companies which are sometimes used include DHL, ASYAD and Century Express.
  • The delivery person usually contacts you a few hours in advance of delivery and requests you to send your location via WhatsApp.
  • I initially had reservations about attempting to shop online because of the lack of detail in our home address. I mean, we don’t even have a road name yet since we live an area still under development. But soon I realised the trick is to mention all the possible landmarks nearby. Just like when you order in for food e.g. next to xyz hypermarket, in front of so-and-so hotel etc…and of course, provide the pin drop location.
  • Only once have I encountered a delivery person who claimed that he could not accept my location being sent via WhatsApp because “this is a business” – which was quite odd because he was definitely the only exception to the rule. All other businesses I have interacted with seem to use WhatsApp. To boost their business, might I add.
  • The issue of bringing change is always a hit and a miss. You can request it (some apps even have a dedicated section where you request a specific amount of change) but this does not always work out and sometimes the delivery person does not bring the change, even if you place a request. You are better off paying by card, but if you prefer COD make sure you have a good amount of change available at home.
  • Be aware that tax rates and rules have changed recently. I have not had any issues yet, thankfully, but others have, so do be wary when making orders from abroad. Perhaps it depends on the type of item ordered or the amount spent, who knows.

Having this option of shopping online made things so convenient and just generally really lifted my spirits during lockdown. And I have been continuing to use these services since. If you are an avid online shopper I’m sure you can relate to the feeling of joy experienced when receiving a parcel 😉

Happy shopping!

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