This is the third installment of the Window Shopping series.

Included in this week’s post are stores from Beirut Complex and AlMuhallab both in Hawalli. Are there stores you want to see featured in the Window Shopping series? Let me know in the comments!

Beirut Complex

AlMuhallab

The Avenues

Have you been to the Avenues yet? There have been admirers, there have been critics, but nearly everyone’s been to the mall at least once. In a country such as Kuwait, new shopping malls are lauded as the highest of thrills. It seems like the only thing people get excited about here. It’s a sad fact for the general state of the country, but it’s great for shopaholics! Let’s not delve deeper into what it does for our economy, bank accounts, and inflation. This guide will remain light-hearted and hopeful.

The launch of the shopping mall is one of the beginning phases of the Avenues project but what a beginning it’s been! The Avenues mall takes all your favorite retail stores and places them under one roof. In addition to that, they have introduced new stores to the Kuwaiti marketplace such as Lucky Brand Jeans, GAP, Banana Republic and many others.

It also houses one of the largest Ikea stores in the Middle East, the first Carrefour in Kuwait, Cinemas, and an NBK branch. There are many coffee shops and restaurants available there such as Asha’s, Columbus Cafe, Noodle Factory, Maki, Nino, Lorenzo, Starbucks, Paul’s, and several food courts.

Where is the Avenues mall? How do I get there?

The Avenues mall is situated on Fifth Ring Road. You can’t miss it. Directions for people driving from Kuwait City are:

• Drive away from Salmiya and drive in the direction towards Jahra.
• It’s located next to the Rabya area.
• It’s also near Road 601 that leads to Shuwaikh Industrial Area.

This mall is big! What if I get lost?

Everyone I know who’s been to the Avenues has gotten lost at least once, be it inside the mall or in the parking lot. I’ve been lost myself. Now I take precautions against it!

Follow these steps to avoid getting lost in the Avenues parking lot:

1. Always remember to take note of where you parked your car.
2. Write down the letter and number of the row you parked in so that you don’t lose your car. If you don’t have paper, use your mobile to save the information!
3. Also make a note of the escalator you took to get into the mall so that you do not wander aimlessly in the parking lot in search of your car.

Congratulations! You’re in the mall! What now?

When I go into a mall I don’t like wasting time searching for the store I want to go to. Every time I’ve been to the Avenues I’ve had to walk quite a distance and sometimes retrace my steps to find the store I had in mind. I got tired of this and that’s why I put together a rough map of the stores in the Avenues so that you would know how to get there faster. It’s very rough. It doesn’t measure distances accurately but it will do in a pinch if you find yourself momentarily disoriented.

I’ve included a map of the ground floor and first floor. Print them out and take them with you the next time you visit the Avenues. Tell me if they help you navigate the mall better.

Follow these steps to avoid getting lost in the Avenues:

1. Click on my maps below.
2. Print them.
3. Take them with you when you visit The Avenues!

Click on the thumbnails to get the large images of each map.

If you cannot get to the image by clicking on it post the following addresses into your internet browsers:

1) http://kuwait-style.com/images/ImageBank/Mine/THE-AVENUES-MALL-MAP-GROUND-FLOOR.jpg
2) http://kuwait-style.com/images/ImageBank/Mine/THE-AVENUES-MALL-MAP-FIRST-FLOOR-002.jpg

In all honesty, I believe it’s the mall’s job to put together a proper informational booklet. They should have a store directory and map available at all the information desks instead of security men who have difficulty understanding your question, are unhelpful, or try to flirt with you.

I can’t think of one mall in Kuwait that has a map or store directory. The closest I can think of is Marina Mall posting names of stores on the walls at the beginning each corridor so that you know you’re headed in the right direction. Shopping mall developers, are you listening?

Update: An Avenues Map does exist! Thank you readers for letting me know! You can see it for yourself on the Avenues Map Uncovered post!

You told me where it is. You showed me how to avoid getting lost. But I still don’t want to waste a visit to the mall. Just tell me, what stores do they have?

Click on the next page to view the store directory. You will find the page number below Related Posts.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

This is the second installment in the Window Shopping series, which was first published last week.

Included in this week’s post are new stores from The Avenues Mall, as well as the newly opened and revamped Riva at Soug Sharq. Are there stores you want to see featured on the Window Shopping series? Let me know in the comments! I also want to know the answer to something. How often do you visit Mariam Shopping Mall and Central Plaza?

The Avenues Mall

Mariam Shopping Mall

Central Plaza - Salmiya

Soug Sharq Mall