Shopping Malls & Grocery Stores in Amman
If you recently moved to Amman, the city can be a bit confusing and you are probably wondering where to buy what in Amman. There are plenty of big shopping malls in Amman situated in the different parts of the town. You will find various stores, many of them with international brands, and most of the malls host a big supermarket, mainly Carrefour or Cozmo, sometimes Safeway. My favorite malls are as follows, depending on what you are looking for. Taj Mall for its selection of shops and dining facilities. The outside food court is very nice. City mall, especially with Carrefour having the biggest selection of goods, however, the parking situation and traffic are sometimes difficult, and waiting for elevators makes it difficult to relax (since we have two little children). Also, the food quality of fresh food is not as good as in Centro, see below.
Galleria Mall is nice as well, and Abdali Mall is great in summer, but still is not fully set up but finally, C-Town is open. But it is relatively quiet and relaxing and has some restaurants with a great view and new food options such as LHM. Also, here you won’t have to wait that long in the banks, in case you need to go to a teller.
Other malls in Amman
Baraka Mall is small and empty but has one of the best Kids Playlands and also the cinema is nice and usually not that crowded. Mecca Mall is quite large but confusing and dark, also it seems smoking is allowed there as ashtrays are standing around. Currently, there is also a new section constructed, so hopefully, that will add something nice to the mall. Last but not least, you can shop groceries online through Basket.jo, an App that offers buying from a range of stores and delivers to your doorstep.
Find here a list of the biggest shopping malls and supermarkets in Amman. Keep in mind that there are also other locations especially for Carrefour and Cozmo. These ones are smaller though than the hypermarkets in the malls.
- Safeway – 7th Circle & Shmesani
- Cozmo – 7th Circle
- C-Town – 7th Circle
- City Mall/Carrefour
- Taj Mall/Family Basket
- Abdali Mall/C-Town
- Galleria Mall/Carrefour
- Baraka Mall
- Avenue Mall/Carrefour
- Mecca Mall/Miles Supermarket
Check out Rachel’s video on shopping online in Jordan
Centro Supermarket – Grocery Shopping in Amman
Centro Supermarket on Medina Street provides the best grocery shopping experience in Amman. I feel it is the only place that gives you a relaxed shopping experience, with super friendly, kind staff, great food, and a calm, clean, quiet environment nowhere else found in Amman. Vegetables and fruits are fresh and old stuff are thrown away. The bakery has great bread, cake, ma’ajenat, cookies and lots of other things. The meat and fish section is great.
They have a good selection of fresh meat and some marinated foods. The cheese corner is also great. The staff knows what they are selling and this is the best advantage. The store is very clean, it is calm and there are always people to help. You can approach them in English and they are helpful. The garage is fine as well. Upstairs you can find some glass and porcelain, hygiene products, and other stationery you might need. The selection is a bit smaller than in the hypermarkets, but we always find what we need.
The service, quality, and knowledgeable staff, of course, has its price. However, Carrefour cannot compete in quality and service and Cozmo is also overpriced, since there is no service, so for me, Centro is worth it. Of course, you can also decide to buy a few things at Centro.
https://goo.gl/maps/G66VKcr11372
Hardware Store – Bashiti Hardware, Camping, Kitchen Utensils Amman
If you need any hardware/appliances for bath, kitchen, tools, stuff for home, garden, garage, or pets you will find it at Bashiti. It is a very large store with 4 stories and you find everything you need. There is staff to help and prices are reasonable. You will find Bashiti in several locations, one on Wasfi At-Tall Street between Waha Circle and Khalda Circle. They have a parking lot close by. That makes hardware shopping in Amman a bit easier.
https://goo.gl/maps/3RUqpqTXFZT2
Photo Studio – Robina – Photography Studio Amman
If you want decent photos, prints, enlargements of your own pictures or frames then Robina photo studio is the place to go. It is next to the 7th circle, close to the old Royal Jordanian and Jett Bus. They can make passport photos, family photos etc. or you can make prints of your digital pictures on all kinds of materials.
https://goo.gl/maps/cns8KrvRatM2
If you are looking at a private photo shoot, you might wanna check out Ekkardt from Sonntagraphy. He has been living in Amman for several years and offers photo shoots for all kinds of occasions.
Stationery, Office Supplies – Istiklal Library Amman
Istiklal Library with locations in Downtown, Shmesani, and Swefiah offers all you need for office or school. The store in Swefiah is huge and offers on three floors all kind of supplies such as paper, cards, pencils, folders, staplers, gift wrapping paper, kitchen staff, Christmas cards or anything else you can think of for work, school, painting, kids activities and so on. You will find a diverse collection and the possibility to choose between different (international) brands for most of the products. The staff is helpful and the store is well organized.
https://goo.gl/maps/FCNdGjE3kdU2
Stationary, Office/School Supplies and school uniforms – The Outfit
The Outfit is located right off Mecca street near Duwar Sha’ab. They offer all kinds of school supplies including many international brands such as Faber, Staedler, UHU, etc. Also, some of the schools sell their uniforms there. While the shops have a great selection and offer a wide range of products, it is also priced at the upper end.
https://www.facebook.com/robins.jordan.baby/The Outfit Location
Shop Kids and Baby Items in Amman – Robins Shemsani
If you are looking for a good store to buy an infant car seat, a baby bed, a crib, toys, or alike make sure to go to Robins in Shmesani. They are really helpful, know what they are selling, and have a huge variety of products to choose from. You can find different brands for strollers, beds, walkers, baby beds, bottles, carriers, toys, car seats, and so on. Prices are at the upper end but you won’t find this huge selection of quality products anywhere else and they really try to explain everything, take their time, and don’t force any expensive product on you. We bought a stroller with an infant car seat as a set and also a baby side bed and were really satisfied with the products we purchased. The Facebook site links to a different location. The one in Shmesani is here https://goo.gl/maps/XhXJp8WXMZn.
You are settled in an apartment, you are familiar with the city and know how to navigate, now it is time to buy some household goods. While most foreigners seem to live in furnished apartments, the appliances and tools in the kitchen might vary a lot. Do you need a toaster, some towels, a buro chair, or other household items? Well, I have covered already a few places in my post Where to buy what. And yes, you can find all kinds of stores around the city and the occasional small shop around the corner that might have what you need but if you want a huge selection in one place and maybe some service, you might like to go to just make one stop at a time. You will find most of the stores mentioned below in the big malls.
Electronics
Smart Buy – Electronics Shop in Amman
At Smart Buy you can find small and large electronic appliances from cell phones and SIM Cards over toasters and hair dryers to washing machines and water dispensers. There is a huge one at Cozmo/BHS near the airport raod/7th circle. They also have other branches at:
- University St. Branch (Next to Agriculture Ministry)
- Taj Mall Branch (Abdoun)
- Mecca Street building number 252 (Khalda)
- next to Cozmo, 7th circle
Carrefour
Although I am not a huge fan of Carrefour for their freshness they do have everything… So you will also find a carpet or TV, new headphones or garden chairs, a bicycle or kids’ toys there. Anyway, on the second floor, you will find a huge non-food section. And while they might not be super-specialized in all areas, at least they offer a large range of diverse goods from several different brands.
Virgin Mega Store –Â Books, Games and Electronics
At Virgin Mega Store you will find small appliances next to books, PCs, cameras, and electronic accessories of all kinds. It is quite expensive but if you are aiming at well-known brands you will find them there. They have a store on the ground floor of City Mall and one on the outdoor floor of Taj Mall.
DNA
DNA is a pretty new store for small electronic items inside Taj Mall. They have mobile phones from the leading brands and also accessories such as headphones, power banks, batteries, and also some toys. You won’t find any large appliances here, though.
Hardware
I really don’t like Mecca Mall too much but when it comes to hardware items and household stuff and you don’t wanna drive through all the city, it might actually be a good stop since you will find ACE Hardware Store, an American store that offers everything from screws and hammers over chimneys to garden staff and wall paint and Tati, a French store that offers a selection of clothes and kitchen tools, dishes, towels, etc. Also, there are some more furniture stores and places that sell bedsheets, etc.
Abdali Mall also has a Tati store and has a ZARA Home store as well. If you look for some deco items, glasses, boxes, and this kind of stuff, you might enjoy it.
In Galleria Mall, you will find TXON, a store similar to IKEA that offers a wide range of goods from the kitchen over the garden to candles and birthday decorations. It is quite large and offers a huge range. The goods they sell however do not seem to be of the greatest quality. Similar to IKEA you also have to make your way through the whole store until the checkout so they make sure you really see everything and they feature some animal figures in real life size so your kids don’t get bored.
Bashiti Hardware Store in Amman
As mentioned Bashiti is a really great place for anything from electricity adapters, over door handles, toilet seats, light bulbs, hammers, paint, BBQ skewers to pet items, and these little things to make your kitchen kid-proof. The store is in Khalda and the staff is really knowledgeable and helpful. They also recently improved their kitchenware department, so you will find everything you need to cook.
Find diverse Household Items in Amman
IKEA
Finally, IKEA has a bit of everything and it is definitely worth a visit. If you are from Europe, you are probably familiar with IKEA’s concept, product range, and food store. However, you won’t find the cheap prices here in Jordan due to taxes and some perception of good quality, which I do not necessarily agree upon. If you have kids and your junior is 90 cm or larger, you can give them over to the staff in the Smaland, IKEA’s kids play area. The restaurant, however, does offer some nice lunch and desserts for an affordable price and you can enjoy a great view from there. Surprisingly, as never seen before in any IKEA I have been to before, it is a relatively empty and quiet place, which I really enjoy.
If you enjoyed this post and love bread as much as we do, then look at my post on the Bakeries in Amman. If you are interested in further information on online grocery shopping in Amman, then read my review about the best grocery shopping App in Amman Basket.jo.
Last Updated June 2020
