It's the strangest thing - OnCost grocery store


I was at the City Star in Hawally over the weekend trying to find a kids sized santa hat (they don't sell them by the way) when I spotted this grocery store next door.  I needed to buy a few things anyway and decided to pop in before heading home.  

It's supposed to be your one stop destination for wholesale buying, but to be honest, the difference was just in fills when buying 1 piece vs. a whole crate but yes, I guess every fill matters when buying in bulk.  

The store isn't pretty and is quite industrial looking, but they carry almost all your basics which is great.  What riled me however was at the till, the cashier studied me for a second or two and then scanned in my race from a list of barcodes kept at the till.  There were only 4 options, Asian, Arab, Kuwaiti and Maachla (which just means groceries).  I really don't understand what my nationality has to do with ringing up my groceries.  Are there different pricing schemes or discounts based on nationality?  Or is this some sort of survey to identify their target customer base?  If so, what happened to all the other races we have representation of in Kuwait?  Just seemed a little strange.  


On the plus side, they have a working website (https://www.oncost.com/) and have free delivery for orders above 10KD.  

4 comments:

  1. Ok... That's really strange! First time I'm hearing a story like that!

    Laura | http://www.furiouslychic.ch/

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    1. I know right? Unfortunately here in Kuwait, we're not all equal and select nationalities have more privileges and can get away with a whole lot more. It still doesn't make it any less strange.

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  2. i Went there yesterday. The cashier thought i was a arab (it appears on the receipt)though i am an INDIAN many people mistake me for a Arab. But the prices are same for all. I believe its for their survey. They want to know what kind of customers are coming to shop.

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    Replies
    1. Yup, I guess you're probably right. I still find it a little weird though.

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