Shopping tips for overseas travellers
/A full suitcase on the way back from holiday … the everyday items you’ll love, especially if travelling from Singapore or Hong Kong.
Groceries:
Australia has fantastic food … not just in the restaurants, cafes and wineries, but in the supermarkets! And believe it or not, you’ll get delicious food at a fraction of the cost of Cold Storage, Market Place and MEIDI-YA!
Albeit a little boring, here goes on the supermarket landscape, with a few tips on what to pack for the trip back …
- Coles and Woolworths, Australia’s largest supermarket chains are fantastic. A little like Cold Storage, but with an enormous range of products.
- IGA, a formation of independent grocers throughout Australia. Focusing more on speciality items, it is probably more comparable to Market Place.
- Aldi, a recent addition to Australia from Europe, focusing on bulk discount offerings.
All of them are great, with even better prices!
Favourite items
Meat
“Australia has the best meat, I’ll buy it at home bring it back in bulk” … Such a common line, Australian expats are notorious for filling their bags with … meat. Whether it comes from Coles, Woolworths, IGA or a local butcher, the quality is superb.
A callout to Terry @ Dunsborough Butchers [+61 89755 3031 / https://dunsborough-butchers.business.site/], he’ll safely stacked on your way back, vacuum packing and all.
Dairy
It’s the land of cows, of course the dairy products are good, and the prices … oh so reasonable. Whilst in Australia, stock up on yogurts, flavoured milks and ice-creams. When leaving Australia, pack your bags after block of cheese … it is almost half the price.
Whilst focused on the mundane bulk items, don’t forget what is on offer in Margaret River – the Yallingup Cheese Company, the Margaret River Chocolate Factory, the Margaret River Dairy Company … there are too many to name.
And finally, baby milk formula is front page news, so popular that it limited to 2 tins per person!
Granola
Who doesn’t love granola … it’s beautiful and Australia has embraced it … organic through to gluten free through to probiotic. With all the choices in the world, it is definitely worthy of some space in the suitcase … especially at such cheap prices.
Clean Living
Dry pantry products, jams and spreads, children’s snacks, cereal the list of organic / clean living products is never ending. Cheap, even cheaper than iHerb, it is fantastic.
Don’t stop with the food, you can knock yourself out with plant based toiletries and cleaning products.
Gluten Free
The gluten intolerance has taken off. From Strange Grains gluten free bakery [www.strangegrainsbakery.com.au] through to Coles and Woolworths, you’ll find what you need less the massive mark-ups elsewhere.
Stuff for the kids…. and more - Kmart
A confession … this isn’t as much about the kids as it is an opportunity to introduce Kmart!
Not appreciated if living in Australia, it is the holy grail of every Australian lady living in Singapore or Hong Kong. It has everything needed to entertain the kids. Kids toys, decorations, gifts for goodie bags, children’s shoes, décor and bedding. Name it and it is there, at prices that will blow your mind.
Now, where’s that extra suitcase for the trip back …
Vitamins, Protein Powder and more - Chemist Warehouse
Chemist Warehouse has recently started delivering to Singapore but if you are looking for vitamins, suppliments and non prescription medication this is definitely the place to shop most of the products here are cheaper that ordering from iHerb.
Garden, Tools and DIY - Bunnings
Australians consider a trip to Bunnings tantamount to a religious experience. Although you’ve probably seen them, because it is hard not to, think Home-Fix at Great World City … but bigger than Great World City itself.
It stocks everything and anything for urban gardeners through to tradesmen and builders, e v e r y t h i n g, with an extra little bit of magic coming in the form of a good old sausage sizzle every Saturday morning.
A world class place to buy DIY home improvement items … or simply to watch Australian culture at play.
