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Everything that matters to me (and maybe you as well)

Archive for the tag “inflation”

24 Jun 2012

Frugal Approval: ilTrend.com (Because Its Fabulous Styling for Fabulous Pricing)

Unlike many other blogs who will rant and rave to you about an item they got for free, I do not believe in that VERY FLAWED method of reviewing. But, in my own personal time, I will go out and spend my money every now and then on a thing or two that I think is worth mentioning. I do not get a single thing out of making these reviews. And this is what Frugal Approval is all about. Honest, straight-forward reviews about products, services, etc. in Kuwait that I have personally spent money on and that I would personally tell my family and friends about. And now, I’m telling you.

I am nothing if not an online shopper. In fact, a great bulk of the stuff in my closet is made up of online purchases. But I’ve got a confession to make: I shy away from doing a lot of online shopping in Kuwait. Especially in the fashion area.

Here’s why: People tend to overprice.

I mean, really overprice. Like inflation on freaking steroids. And, well, you can’t blame me (or anyone else for that matter) for choosing to look for the same items I might want elsewhere at a more reasonable price range.

And, before anyone comes jumping down my throat for not taking into consideration the cost of shipping and handling and all that technical jazz that resellers love to use as an excuse to jack their prices up to astronomical heights, let me tell you that I have. And, speaking as someone who has been doing plenty of online shipping and ordering for a good number of years now, the reality is that when I order and ship to Kuwait 5 shirts from a US store online they always cost me a less amount than what I would pay for the exact same shirts if bought from a local Kuwaiti business or reseller.

That is the truth.

Now, what does this little rant have to do with ilTrend.com? Simple. It’s defines everything that is the opposite of this little start-up fashion business.

You see, for what is perhaps the first time in my Kuwaiti fashion shopping experience, I have finally found a store that sells stuff that does not only look awesome and different and turns a million heads, but that is also sold at an honest price.

Example: I got the most darling pair of girly, pretty, faux three piece earrings from ilTrend.com (pictured above). They’re gorgeous; they’re dainty; they’re just so adorably precious. I’ve already received tons of compliments on them since I’ve gotten them around 2 weeks ago.

And yet that perfect pair of girly, pretty, compliment-worthy awesomeness cost me no more than 4.500 KD (or 6.500 KD plus delivery).

I looked into getting another pair and found another local business selling these kinds of earrings. And I was beyond shocked. I found this other local business (which shall not be named cause I ain’t no troll) selling the exact same earrings for 10 KD a piece.

A PIECE. That means if I wanted to get the full pair of the very same earrings I bought from ilTrend.com for a grand total of 6.500 KD, I would have to pay this other local business a minimum of 20 KD.

That, by the way, is stealing.

Its also a price inflation of nearly 70%. Even if you can afford to blow that much cash, your consumer rights are supposed to insure that you don’t. And, as many of you may know, I’ve already made my opinion on this endless inflation, thievery pattern pretty darn clear.

And, really, its not just the accessories that are so fabulously styled and even more fabulously priced. I also got a beyond gorgeous dress for the very reasonable price of 12.5000 KD. Again, I saw the exact same kind of dress elsewhere in Kuwait for a price that is too crazy to mention.

The bottom line is this: ilTrend.com is fashionable; its different; its classy; its convenient; but most importantly its honest. It doesn’t try to take advantage of a single consumer, nor is it interested in presenting itself as anything that it’s not. It’s a clean business that operates on the basis of allowing every woman to indulge her fashionista tendencies without breaking the bank. Especially when there’s no reason in the world that she has to.

So, if you’re a woman, and you care about looking fabulous and, you know, keeping your bank account then ilTrend.com is definitely your ticket.

And, if you’re local fashion business, and you sell at these crazy, inflated prices then take notes.

All my love! (I also believe ilTrend has a number you can Whatsapp your orders to if online shopping isn’t your thing. Its 96609572)

Posted in Approved, Fashion, Frugal Approval, Kuwait and tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
11 May 2012
9 Comments

Welcome to the Inflation Station – On Chilli’s And Other Economic Swindles

I recently read a post by a fellow blogger buddy, Fai9alR, in which he discusses and exposes Chilli’s for the gross inflation of the items on their new menu. He made a point of comparing the prices between Chilli’s old menu from a few years back (can’t be more than 3 years cause I remember seeing this menu in my sophomore year in university) and the current one. And, as it turns out, on an average order, Chill’s prices today have jumped by around half the amount they were on the old menu.

Half! As in 50 EXTRA percent of your wallet. That’s so inflated it could rival a huge Disney Land parade float.

And, you know what the worst part is? This is not just about Chilli’s. This is going on everywhere in Kuwait and on every consumer level. So much so that Kuwait has now proudly risen to nearly 4% average inflation rate, and it only stands to get higher. And, really, the problem seems to have become so complicated that its becoming harder and harder to point the finger at anyone.

I mean, the government seems to think that it can combat inflation by raising the pay of Kuwaiti nationals ever so frequently, but, apparently, that seems to be having an opposite effect on the inflation issue.

And, I can figure at least two reasons why that might be happening:

  1. Companies are being greedy and deciding that they’d like to cash-in on the Kuwaiti increases so they raise their prices so that they end up raking in even more loot. This is, of course, a violation of consumer rights and needs to be investigated with every company that does raise their prices.
  2. The government doesn’t seem to realize that more than half of Kuwait’s consumerist population is not Kuwaiti. That means that they are still subject to the crazy expenses that come with living in Kuwait and that their employers (who do sell consumer goods/services/property) need to raise their pay in order for them to, you know, live and stuff. But these companies can only stay afloat as well as raise their largely non-Kuwaiti employee salaries by–that’s right–increasing the price of their goods/services/property.

My opinion? The government needs to completely re-strategize. Clearly, this pay increase deal isn’t doing jack for inflation. In fact, it’s making matters worse for everyone–Kuwaiti and expat alike. On one hand its making companies greedy and charge crazy prices, and on the other its actually forcing some companies to raise their prices in order to both make sure their predominantly non-Kuwaiti employees can manage and to stay afloat at the same time.

The government needs to come up with a more proactive plan that deals with the issue itself, not just try to hush the Kuwaiti community by giving them more money that’s only going to end up flying just as fast due to all the immediate inflation.

Because the bottom line is that paying more than half of the amount I used to pay at Chilli’s is not acceptable. Nor is paying double the price of an item I’m having shipped here through Shop ‘N’ Ship (Aramex).

Or, really, paying anything more than what is fair and managable to every single consumer in Kuwait.

All my love! (Above cartoon by Nikah Kosar)

Posted in Kuwait, News, SAY WHAAA...! and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

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