Shopping in cayman
There are a number of shopping centres located around the Island, and of course the various offerings of downtown George Town. You can easily buy jewellery, watches, china, crystal, glass, appliances, kitchenwares, groceries, plants, cameras and home improvement supplies. You can get all the essential items and most luxury goods on the Island – although sometimes the choice may seem limited and the price higher than you are used to. Limited selections include: shoes and clothing. Of course, there is a large selection of resort style island wear, but items like men’s suits, ties, work shirts, jeans and of course winter apparel are better sourced elsewhere.
SHOPPING CENTRES
George Town
Island Plaza
Grand Cayman’s newest and possibly largest duty free shopping centre. The plaza contains the following jewellers: Diamonds Direct, House of Tanzanite, Grand Cayman Jewellers, Island Jewellers, London Jewellers Factory Outlet and Ammolite By The Bay. In addition you will find the Swarovski boutique, Churchill’s Cigars, De Bag Man, The Sunglass Gallery, Treasure Chest, Book Nook, Thirsty? Thirsty? and souvenir stores. Upstairs you will find Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville bar and outdoor water park. The plaza is also excellent for families as there are parakeets, talking cockatoos and green iguanas to see. Island Plaza stores are open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4.30pm on Saturdays. It is open on Sundays only when there is a cruise ship in port.
Bayshore Mall
A fairly new shopping centre that contains Kirk Freeport Jewellery, up market Lalique and Lladro boutiques, The Retreat at Tips and Toes, Del Sol, Tous Jewellery, Cayman Critters, 20enty, MAC makeup, a Butterfield Bank ATM, Sport’n Zone and La Perfumerie. Their opening hours are 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday. Restaurant/food options: Pipino’s Italian Pizzeria and Haagen-Dazs ice cream.
Aquaworld Shopping Mall
This is on the waterfront towards Eden Rock. It is home to an assortment of touristy souvenir and gift shops. Restaurant/food option: Guy Harvey’s Island Grill (French Seafood).
Jack & Jill Building
Located downtown on Fort Street this shopping centre includes Annie’s Beauty Centre; International Travel; Cayman Crafts; Tortuga Duty Free Liquors; Caribbean Pirates; Deziner Alternatives for leather bags and more. Restaurant option: Bacchus Wine Bar.
Harbour Centre
Here you will find three or four beachwear shops, Natalie Bishop, Deziner Alternatives for leather bags and Atlantis Submarines. It is also home to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. Restaurant/food options: Grape Vine Wine Bar and a coffee shop, Carib Bean, next door.
Cayman Craft Market
This open-air marketplace is located next to Harbour Centre and is open on cruise ship days 8am to 3pm, with local arts and crafts on sale.
CaySide
Located on the waterfront, this holds a small but unique collection of shops ranging from Silver Splash Jewellery; Artefacts Ltd. antiques; Goldsmiths for jewellery and repairs; La Casa Del Habano cigars; Island Treasures boutique; Del Sol; Jewel Trendz and Pirates of the West Indies.
The Village
This small complex on Dr. Roy’s Drive in downtown George Town offers: Nembhard’s Pets; Virgina’s Beauty; Party World; Cayman Tours & Travel; CayBiz Internet and K&S Variety Store. Directly across the road is Changes Spa & Salon and Travel Pros.
Other Stores in George Town
Some other speciality stores worth a visit are Far Away Places for bed and table linens; Arabus for upmarket ladies and men’s fashions; Cayman Camera and Hobbies and Books. Restaurant/food options: Daily Grind, Breezes, Hard Rock Café, Margaritaville and Maedac Café in Genesis Close for sandwiches and salads.
Walkers & Smith Road Area
Eden Centre (on Walkers Road)
This shopping centre was badly damaged by Hurricane Ivan and many of the tenants have still not returned. One that has remained is Island Veterinary Clinic.
Pasadora Place (on Smith Road)
Here you will find: Petique for gifts, candles, pet supplies and fish; Miss Jackie’s School of Dance; Paige & Co hair and beauty studio; Noah’s Ark, a wonderful store for upscale baby and children’s toys, equipment and furniture; Party Mart for party supplies including specialty helium balloons; Cayman Learning Centre, a tutoring centre; Beyond Paradise, women’s fashions and accessories; SoftTech Computers; New Wings, speech and language therapy; Super Stitch, sewing and fabric store; Cayman Physiotherapy; Cayman Chiropractic & Medical; Body Sculptor fitness centre and several doctors’ offices. Restaurant/food options: Full of Beans Café, a coffee shop and restaurant; Luz’s, offering local and Spanish dishes.
PhotoPharm Centre
Health Care Pharmacy is located on Smith Road, and next door to it is Photo Plus for framing and film development.
North Sound Road
Alissta Towers
There are quite a few offices here, including Island Brokers insurance company; West Indian Trading Company; LaBelle International hair salon; Georgian Bay Windows & Doors and The Pool Store.
Caymanian Village
Stores include: Absolutely Fabulous for Indonesian and Chinese antique furniture and other accessories; Optical Outlook; Eurasia Imports for Asian furniture; Hair Gallery; Pulse Electrical; Kindermusik Studio for children’s movement and music classes; Smart Curves, for plus size ladies clothing and La Chic clothing. Restaurant/Food options include: Island Taste and National House Bakery.
Plaza Venezia
This complex, next to Jacques Scott, is home to: OfficeWorx for office supplies; Chikitines for children’s clothing; Candles Unlimited; Blinds Unlimited & Design; Discount Auto Parts; Classic Designs for furniture and accessories; Dollar Super Buy; Rochel’s Beauty Spa; Pittsburgh Paints; Real Wood Cabinets; Appealing Apparel, ladies fashion; e’Solutions; Christian Books and More and FirstCaribbean Bank and ATM. Restaurant option: China Village.
Bodden Plaza, Crewe Road
Located here is Little Darlings which offers a large selection of children’s clothes, furniture, toys and newborn accessories; Tren-Dee Tweens clothing store for young teens; Expectations maternity clothes; Party Land for all your party needs. Restaurant option: Arthur Treacher’s, offering meals from fish and chips to Miami Subs.
Industrial Park
Alexandra Place
Dr. Glatz, an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist; Eclipze Hair Design and Day Spa; Smile Dental Clinic; Dr. Cecily Abraham, paediatrician; TrinCay Medical Service obstetrics and gynaecology; British American Insurance and Grace Tabernacle.
Cayman Center
This new development has stores including: Cayman Shoe Shop, carrying not only shoes but a wide array of men’s and women’s fashion; US Link, your US address in Cayman; Videomatic; Hair Tip Difference Beauty Supply Store; Juz Kids, a children’s clothing store; ITC Tiles, marble and granite show room; Latin Tours; a Dancercise studio offering Hip Hop, Salsa, Highlands and Ballroom dancing; Sylvan Learning Centre for tutoring and Anglin-Lewis & Associates Immigration Consultants. Restaurant option: Smokey D BarBQ Place and Roots Delight, a juice bar complete with healthy eating.
Mirco Commerce Centre
(on North Sound Road in Industrial Park)
This complex offers: Celebrations flower and party store; the largest branch of Reflections offering clothing, electronics, sports supplies and other odds and ends; Cellular World (a good option for cell-phone repair or reprogramming); Asher J Lingerie; the office for Seaboard Marine; American Consulate Services and Cayman Dental Services. Restaurant options: Fusion Bistro and Maedac Mirco Café.
West Bay Road & Seven Mile Beach Area
Queens Court Plaza
Here you will find: Body Works for yoga, massage and beauty therapy; GNC vitamin and health food store; Computer Geeks, IT products and services; Crave clothing store; Regal Realty; a branch of Royal Bank of Canada with an ATM and O Bar, a nightclub. Restaurant/food options: Fidel Murphy’s Irish Pub; Thai Orchid Restaurant; Myrtles Restaurant & Bar; The Attic Pool Bar and Papa John’s Pizza.
Seven Mile Shops
Here you will find: Blackbeard’s Liquors; Divers World; Beach Boutique; RE/MAX real estate agents; IDG (International Design Group) for upscale furniture and home accessories; Cayman Corker; Cayman Taffy Company; Gawk and Leer, for upscale kitchen supplies and housewares; Dr. Foley, Ophthalmologist, and Cayman Lens Crafters where you can get glasses made in one day. Restaurant/food options: Little Tokyo; Icoa Café & Bakery; Sapphire Lounge and Chopsticks Restaurant.
The Marquee Plaza
(just off West Bay Road)
This centre has a 2-screen cinema; Tortuga Liquors; CNB ATM; Focus Hair and Beauty salon; and Sunrays, an alternative to designer sunglasses. Restaurant/food options: Cimboco restaurant; Café del Sol, coffee shop and Internet café; Power Supply Bar; Quiznos Subs and a kebab place called Al La Kebab that stays open late at night.
Camana Bay (just off West Bay Road)
Located off the Harquail bypass just off West Bay Road, Camana Bay is a new town centre. Here you will find NKY, an upscale men’s and women’s clothing boutique; Books and Books, an independent bookseller; Bedside Manor; The Mansion; De Sunglass Man, a sunglass and handbag store; Digicel and Island Companies. A few stores that are set to open in 2009 include a high-end electronics store, a deli, a hair salon and day spa, an interior design company and a wine concept store. Restaurants/food options: Abacus Restaurant, Cafe del Sol and a Haagen-Dazs store.
West Shore Shopping Centre
(the Pink Plaza)
The Seven Mile Beach Post Office is located here, along with Blockbuster video store; Kennedy Art Gallery; Cayman Islands Sotheby’s International Realty; Caribbean Utilities office (for paying bills); B.J.’s Electronics; Gecko, offering furniture and home accessories; Styles Beauty Salon; Divers Supply, which also offers a good selection of swimsuits and beachwear, along with diving equipment; the Body Shop; Pure Health, a vitamin and health food store; Havana Club Cigar Lounge and Rapid Photo, which also does film developing. Clothing and gift shops in this complex include: Cayman Shoe Shop; Sundog; Le Classique and Hesha. Restaurants/food options: Treats Café; Post Restaurant; Subway – great for sandwiches; and Chicken! Chicken! – superb rotisserie chicken.
Galleria Plaza (the Blue Plaza)
Here you will find: an Indonesian furniture store called Beyond the Horizon (they also have a small clothing line and some unique gifts and home accessories); Cable and Wireless; Digicel; Tropical Optical opticians; Out of the Bluz clothing store; Book Nook; Sports Supply; The Morgan Gallery for fine art; Rugs Oriental for beautiful Oriental rugs; a clothing store called Allee; Top Drawer, a wonderful lingerie store; Chiclit, a ladies boutique; The Salon hairdresser; Priestley’s Attorneys-At-Law and Jacques Scott’s Wine Cellar. Restaurant/food options: Café Med Restaurant and the Pirates Den Pub (PD’s).
Buckingham Square
(Across from Grand Cayman Beach Suites)
This complex offers: Big Daddy’s liquor store; Cayman National Bank and ATM; Crighton Properties; 24 K Mon, a jewellery store and gallery and a clothing store called True Friends. Restaurant/food options: Azzurro Café, an Italian coffee shop and patisserie; and a great Italian restaurant called Ragazzi.
Cayman Falls Centre
Offers Capt. Marvin’s Watersports and mini market; Cohiba Lounge; Rapha Imaging and Medical Services; Divers Down; Unique Braids and Beauty Spa; Fiderus Technology; Big Daddy’s Liquor Store and Island Styles Rentals. Restaurant/food options: Yoshi Sushi; Legends Bar and Eats Café.
The Strand Shopping Centre
This has a large Foster’s Food Fair supermarket and pharmacy; a Cayman National Bank ATM; chiropractors; a dental clinic and medical centre; Nelson and Company, a law firm; a branch of the Kirk Freeport jewellery store; Ambience Ltd. specialising in European kitchen equipment, accessories and beautiful linens; Just Add Water clothing boutique; a branch of Scotiabank with an ATM; Spa Esprit Beauty Salon and a Blackbeard’s Liquor store. Restaurant/food options: Haagen-Dazs ice cream parlour; Paperman’s Coffee House; Kentucky Fried Chicken and Canton Chinese Restaurant. Over the road are two very popular restaurants called Gateway of India and Copper Falls Steakhouse.
Governors Square
This is a new development opposite the Governor’s House on West Bay Road offering Balaclava Jewellery; Lux Life; Audiophile stereo equipment; Atlantic Department Store; Funky Monkey, an athletic clothing store; Bon Vivant, an upscale kitchenware and appliances store; Tortuga Liquors; WestStar/WestTel Customer Centre; Wine Down Market; Spa de Soul, a beauty salon; a branch of Butterfield Bank and Cost-U-Less, a bulk food store. Restaurant/food options: Wine Down restaurant and bar; Perk Up Café and Prime Churrascaria – a Brazilian Steakhouse.
Selkirk Plaza
Located just after Baytown Plaza, this shopping centre is home to Tribe, a tattoo studio; Salon Novell and Mahogany’s fashion house.
The Baytown Plaza
In this centre you will find HSBC Bank; Creative Tech, an upscale electronics store; The Education Centre for the National Gallery; Hint of Heather; Beltina’s Special Occasions; Hair Expo Salon and Cayman Jam Boutique. Restaurant/food option: Kentucky Fried Chicken, which also has a drive-thru.
West Bay Area
Centennial Towers (West Bay 4-way stop)
This centre has Puritan Dry Cleaning; Micro Matrix; VIP Productions, video and photography services; Baby Discount Store; Exquisite Taste Variety Store; Digicel; Cayman National Bank; West Bay Medical Centre and Pharmacy; Picturethis, photo development, photography studio and picture framing store; and Zullema’s Beauty Salon. Restaurant/food option: Subway (for inexpensive healthy sandwiches).
Red Bay Area
The Shoppes at Grand Harbour
his complex has a large Hurleys’ supermarket; Blockbuster Video; Books by the Bay; Cyber Joe’s; Spa-to-Go; Island Framing, a small art gallery and framing shop; Blackbeard’s Liquor store; Health Care Pharmacy II; Curves, a woman’s work-out centre; Adventure Travel; I Am Co, Christian books and gifts; and All Fired Up, a pottery centre. Around the back of the complex is a skateboarding park and wave pool operated by Black Pearl, a boarding shop. Restaurant/food options: Brickhouse restaurant; Brewhouse coffee shop and Doghouse bar.
Savannah & Lower Valley Area
Countryside Shopping Centre
This new complex has a Foster’s Food Fair; A.L. Thompson’s; Cayman National Bank; Monster Video; Puritan Dry Cleaners; My Computer , an internet and computer store; Focus Hair & Beauty; Vet Clinic and Specialty Pet Boarding, a pet boarding and veterinary place; Fine Things for home accessories; Savannah Clinic & Pharmacy; GNC; Coldwell Banker; Cay Home Designs, an architect firm; and Jacques Scott Liquors. Restaurant/food options: MacDonalds Restaurant; Subway; Pizza Hut and Dragon Garden Restaurant.
Duty free shopping
Another way to benefit from Cayman’s tax system is in the area of duty free shopping. Much of the shopping in the Cayman Islands is duty free as well as being free from sales tax, so it might make sense for you to delay the purchase of certain luxury items like jewellery, watches, leather goods and cameras until you arrive in Cayman. (Note that in this context ‘duty free’ means that the Government has not added any import or Customs duty to items when they are imported into Cayman, and ‘tax-free’ refers to the absence of any form of sales tax in the Islands). With no mark-up on duty, the retail price, even without sales tax, GST or VAT can be considerably less than in mainland countries.
When you buy products in a duty free, tax-free market, there can also be pricing benefits that come directly from the manufacturers of goods. Many luxury goods manufacturers fix the retail prices of their products and dictate that retailers do not sell for less than the prescribed price. These are typically set according to country or geographic area. However, in duty free markets, manufacturers will generally allow retailers to give better pricing than customers might expect in their home market. As with everything, it pays to shop around (particularly on Saturdays when there are usually no cruise ships in port), but buying duty free items in the Cayman Islands can offer significant savings of anywhere from 5% to 50% or more compared with prices at home.
A little planning can go a long way in maximising savings. If you are at a point in your life where you are about to make a large purchase such as an engagement ring, loose diamonds, a wristwatch, a handbag or other luxury goods, consider waiting to make your purchase until you arrive in Cayman. Not many people know that there is a large selection of diamonds in Cayman and again with a little research you might surprise yourself as to the savings you can make.
Alternatively you might be looking to buy an every day item such as a digital camera or a pair of sunglasses. Other duty free favourites, which you or your friends and family can take home are alcohol, cigarettes, cigars, fragrances and cosmetics. Having said all of this you need to be aware of the customs regulations of your home country.
Whilst on the topic of sunglasses, if you do not have a suitable pair, then Grand Cayman is a great place to go shopping for them. A good pair of sunglasses is really important in the Caribbean sunshine as the intensity of ultraviolet rays is typically three times greater than non-tropical countries and you are likely to spend much more time outside when compared to your home country.
Although you don’t have to spend large sums of money to buy a good pair of sunglasses keep in mind that a moderate or higher price range will generally yield a higher quality, more durable pair of sunglasses. You will be able to choose from a huge selection of styles and many of the most sought-after brands (Maui Jim, Oakley, Ray-Ban, Prada, Gucci and Chanel to mention a few) available from shops in downtown George Town.
If you are in the market for diamonds then, according to Diamonds Direct, you can expect a savings of up to 50% compared to American retail prices. Cayman has a great range from 0.25 carat to well over 10 carats and a wide selection of styles and settings are available in all the popular diamond shapes from round brilliant to trillion to princess cuts.
If you are looking to buy a camera, they too are duty free and if you shop around they will often be less expensive than in your home country. Camera stores stock the well known brands such as Nikon, Canon, Vivitar, Olympus, Sanyo, Sony and Pentax and in addition to digital SLR cameras and accessories you can also find camcorders and specialist shops selling a large array of underwater photographic equipment. Two stores to check out are:
Cathy Church’s Photo Centre & Gallery
Tel: (345) 949 7415
Cayman Camera
Tel: (345) 949 8359
www.caymancamera.com
WHERE TO FIND WHAT
Art Galleries, Arts & Crafts
There are a few art galleries on Grand Cayman that offer locally-made crafts and paintings from resident artists.
Pure Art (Tel: (345) 949 9133 or www.pureart.ky) on South Church Street has, for the last 20 years, featured some of the Island’s best known and loved painters and artisans. Located one mile from George Town in a charming Caymanian cottage, Pure Art is a treasure trove of original paintings, art prints and handcrafted island gifts. National Geographic’s April 2008 ‘Traveler’ magazine describes it as a “must do”. It is open daily except Sundays.
The Morgan Gallery, in the Galleria Plaza on West Bay Road (Tel: (345) 943 5566) exhibits original works from local and internationally acclaimed artists, offering residents and businesses the opportunity to acquire fine art comparable to that shown in galleries in London and New York.
The Kennedy Gallery (Tel: (345) 949 8077) in the West Shore Centre (Pink Plaza) and Island Art and Framing (Tel: (345) 947 2606) in Grand Harbour Centre, sell art and also do framing.
Picturethis in Centennial Towers (West Bay) also does framing (Tel: (345) 943 3686).
Be on the look out for events at Pageant Beach, located next to the Wharf Restaurant. They have events from art exhibitions and family fun days to music festivals. The Gallery at the Ritz-Carlton (Tel: (345) 943 9000); National Gallery (Tel: (345) 945 8111); some local restaurants like Grand Old House and Full of Beans display artwork doubling as gallery space. The Craft Market on the waterfront is great for locally produced crafts. They are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 3pm. Also Artefacts Ltd. carries antique maps and prints.
Beauty Products
The following stock well-known brands:
Body Works
Tel: (345) 945 6485
Alba, Aura Cacia, Burt’s Bees, Cellex-C, Earth Therapeutics, Eminence, Deep Steep, Genwol Foot Products and Thalgo.
CayJam Ltd.
Tel: (345) 324 7093
Dead Sea Products and Swisa.
Every Bloomin’ Thing
Tel: (345) 945 1701
Caldrea, Crabtree & Evelyn and Fruits & Passion.
Focus Hair & Beauty
Tel: (345) 943 6287
Guinot, Kerastase and Redkin.
Hibiscus Spa, The Westin
Tel: (345) 945 3800
Pevonia.
Kirk Freeport
Tel: (345) 949 7477
Boucheron, Chanel, Clinique, Christian Dior, Cartier, Clarins, Estée Lauder, Guerlain, Lancôme, La Mer, La Prairie, MAC, Yves Saint Laurent, Nina Ricci and Sisley Skin Care.
Paige & Co
Tel: (345) 949 6912
Biosoak, Chi, L’Oréal Professional, Modern Organic Products, Redkin and Sebastian.
Petique
Tel: (345) 949 7296
Ahava Skin Care and The Naked Bee.
Sameena’s
Tel: (345) 949 4052
Germaine Capucini, Goldwell, June Jacobs, Kim for Hair and Peter Thomas Roth.
Silver Rain, The Ritz-Carlton
Tel: (345) 943 9000
La Prairie.
Spa Esprit
Tel: (345) 945 4334
American Crew, Environ, Goldwell, Guinot, KMS, Matrix and Opi.
Spa de Soul
Tel: (345) 945 5919
Chi, Goldwell, Paul Mitchell and Remy Laure.
Styles
Tel: (345) 949 8809
Joico, Matrix, Nexus, Paul Mitchell, Remy Laure, Sebastian and Tigi by Bed Head.
The Retreat at Tips & Toes
Tel: (345) 943 8637
Essi, Orly, Opi,Temple Spa and Young Nails.
Vanity
Tel: (345) 949 7929
Aveda, Catwalk, Bed Head, Phyto Hair Products, Yuko, Archipelago Botanicals, Creative Nail Design and S-Factor by Tigi.
Window Treatments
Most rented apartments come with blinds already installed. Curtains are more unusual. Often, if they are not in very good shape, you can ask the landlord to replace them. If you have bought your own place and need to replace what is there, ask one of the following specialists to measure the windows and custom fit window coverings:
Blinds Unlimited
Plaza Venezia, North Sound Road
Tel: (345) 946 7797
They specialise in made to measure blinds, plantation shutters and curtains but they also carry a large stock of ready-made blinds, hardware and samples of fabric for curtains.
Edie’s Decor
64 Eastern Ave
Tel: (345) 949 6348
They sell custom made blinds, shutters and curtains but also have curtain fabrics, ready-made blinds and drapery hardware in stock. Edie’s also sells floor and wall tiles, wood flooring and carpets and provide installation for all their products. They also offer upholstery services.
West Indian Design
85 North Sound Road
Tel: (345) 949 6155
They sell both indoor and outdoor window treatments. Custom made window treatments are available as well as ready-made ones.
Woods Furniture & Design
Dorcy & MacLendon Drive
Tel: (345) 949 5933
Along with many well-known brands of furniture to suit all budgets, Woods also sells custom made blinds and curtains.
Books & Stationery
There are currently three bookstores (Books & Books, Book Nook and Hobbies & Books). All have a large selection of books, stationery and cards. Hobbies & Books do individual newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Noah’s Ark and Little Darlings also carry children’s books.
Clothing
The following stores sell clothing:
Arabus
West Wind Building
Fort Street
Specialises in men’s and women’s smart attire for office and evening.
Atlantic
Governors Square
West Bay Road
Specialises in men’s, women’s and kid’s clothing, accessories, gifts and toys.
Atlantic Kids
Paddington Place, Godfrey Nixon Road
Specialises in children’s clothing, shoes, toys, accessories and school uniforms.
Island Companies
Camana Bay
Specialises in men’s and women’s casual attire.
Just Add Water
The Strand
West Bay Road
Specialises in women’s clothing and accessories.
La Chic
Caymanian Village
North Sound Road
Specialises in women’s clothing.
NKY
Camana Bay
Specialises in upscale men’s and women’s attire. They are the distributors for Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Polo Ralph Lauren and other designers.
Off The Peg
Elgin Avenue, George Town
Specialises in women’s clothing.
Also try the boutiques at the Grand Cayman Beach Suites, the Westin and Treasure Island as they have some casual beachwear for adults. Diver’s World, Diver’s Supply and the Beach Boutique also stock children’s beachwear.
Computers & Computer Services
Expect to pay a little more for computers in Cayman than in the US. However, if you do buy a computer in the US, remember that you will have to pay 20% duty on the shipping, insurance and cost of the equipment when you bring it to Cayman. Also consider that warranties on computers bought off-island do not extend to the Cayman Islands. Many people do buy all their computer equipment in Cayman.
Alphasoft
GKF Industrial Park
Godfrey Nixon Way, George Town
Tel: (345) 949 8251
Alphasoft is the authorised dealer for Compaq and Hewlett Packard printers and authorised resellers for Apple and is a McAfee training centre. They also offer recycling of Hewlett Packard ink cartridges.
Cayman Business Machines
49 Hospital Road, George Town
Tel: (345) 945 9090
This company is the authorised dealer for Xerox, Lenovo, Smartboard and NCR. They supply a complete range of cost-effective business solutions and services, from printing on demand to document sharing and scanners. Available also are a full range of Lenovo computers, servers, monitors and accessories providing your IT requirements. In addition they also sell Smartboard interactive whiteboards and Infocus projectors for schools, offices and conference rooms. Docu-centre is a printing service that is also available
.
Cayman Leasing
Tel: (345) 949 2700
Email: gfoakley@candw.ky
They lease office and medical equipment.
Cyber Joe’s
The Shoppes at Grand Harbour
Tel: (345) 943 7873
Email: info@cyberjoes.ky
Cyber Joe’s boasts an internet café, repair centre and retail store all under one roof. They sell and service both PC and Apple products.
Kirk Office Equipment
67 North Sound Road, George Town
Tel: (345) 623 5475
www.kirk.ky
Kirk Office Equipment operates from a large retail store on North Sound Road and provides a wide range of products and service solutions including photocopiers, facsimiles, computers and accessories, furniture, carpeting, filing systems, supplies and much more. IT solutions are offered for networking, IP telephony, point-of-sale and document management. They are the authorised dealers for HP, Ricoh, Apple, Microsoft, Brother, Kimball, HON, Global, Pitney Bowes, DeLaRue and many others. Free delivery is included on all orders.
Their KirkISS division offers world-class enterprise IT solutions and consulting for high-availability servers and storage, networking, IP telephony, security and systems management from leading vendors like HP, Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix, Mitel and McAfee.
Softech Computers
Pasadora Place, Walkers Road
Tel: (345) 945 3548
They offer an internet café, sales, support, computer repair, networking, webdesign, programing and training.
Diving Equipment
The two main stores selling diving equipment on the Island are:
Divers Supply
West Shore Centre (Pink Plaza), West Bay Road
Tel: (345) 949 7621
Open: 7 days a week 8am–9pm
Divers World
Seven Mile Shops, West Bay Road
Tel: (345) 949 8128
Open: Monday to Saturday 8am–6pm
They both sell, rent and service a wide range of internationally known diving equipment like Aqua, Apeks, Atomic, Décor, Oceanic, Mares, Seaquest, Suunto and Superpro. Please note that Divers World will not give any cash refunds.
Electronic Equipment
Audiophile
4-103 Governors Square
Tel: (345) 746 4434
Email: theaudiophile@weststartv.com
Audiophile specialises in the design, supply and installation of custom home theatre systems, office and commercial audio/video systems and other associated audiovisual products and accessories for the mid to high end market. They are the sole distributors for Mark Levinson, Revel, Arcam, Vantage Controls, JBL, JBL Synthesis, Infinity Systems, Harman/Kardon, KEF, Ad Notam, Audio Access, Digital Projection, WireWorld and Denon.
Automated Technologies
Tel: (345) 943 2266
Email: autotech@candw.ky
B.J.’s Electronics
Location 1: Next to Edie’s Decor,
Eastern Avenue – Tel: (345) 949 7713
Location 2: West Shore Centre
West Bay Road – Tel: (345) 949 7460
Creative Tech
The Baytown Plaza, West Bay Road
Tel: (345) 946 8324
Eminent Audio & Video
43 Walkers Road, George Town
Tel: (345) 946 7685
Eminent Audio & Video specialises in car stereo systems, home cinema equipment, commercial audio products and accessories. They carry a wide range of consumer electronics and can special order items such as plasma televisions, receivers and speakers. They offer competitive prices and are the distributors for JBL, Infinity, Harman/Kardon and Phoenix Gold.
Funky Tangs
Shedden Road
Tel: (345) 949 0998
Funky Tangs specialises in mid-range home theatre equipment, audio/video accessories and offers a full line of CDs, musical instruments and car stereos.
Hi-Tech Electronics
Ashgo Street, off Godfrey Nixon Way
Tel: (345) 945 3950
Hi-Tech carries a large selection of TVs, DVDs, stereos, home theatre systems and car radios.
Home & Office City/ Brand Source
209 Dorcy Drive, Industrial Park
Tel: (345) 949 5211
Specialising in electronics (Samsung and Toshiba); home entertainment systems; kitchenware (Calphalon) and appliances (General Electric, Frigidaire and Napoleon).
House Smart Technologies
8 Dilbert’s Plaza, 155 Shamrock Road
Tel: (345) 947 0854
Provides and installs home automation systems, entertainment systems, products and services. They employ a certified alarm systems engineer, a computer engineer and an electrical engineer.
Errands/Concierge Service
If you don’t have enough time or need extra help during the day, from buying groceries, paying bills, doing the school run to gift deliveries, whatever your errand, there are people to call.
CustomERrands
Tel: (345) 926 5599
Furniture
Take the advice of anyone who tells you not to bother bringing your furniture from home. Initially anyway, you won’t need it. Admittedly not all, but most, apartments come furnished and you will only end up putting yours in storage. Ideally, you would arrive with all your clothing and personal effects only. Then if you decide to buy your own home you can ship your furniture (although please note that the exemption to paying import duty on your furniture and personal effects expires after six months). Not all houses are sold furnished, but many are. All places bought pre-construction come unfurnished. You can buy some lovely furniture on-Island. There are a couple of stores which have good quality Indonesian wood furniture like Absolutely Fabulous, Beyond the Horizon, Sticks & Stones. Then there is Woods Furniture and Design, IDG (International Design Group), Beacon Furniture, Eurasia, Island Interiors, The Furniture Depot, Markson’s Furniture and West Indian Design; and this is just naming the main choices. Inexpensive, ‘flat-pack’ type furniture is available from Priced Right, Uncle Bills and Kirk Home Centre. For beautiful rugs to decorate your home there is Rugs Oriental in the Galleria Plaza. Noah’s Ark also carries EQ3 and Flexa furniture. Absolutely Fabulous Outdoors carries teak outdoor furniture.
Second-Hand Furniture
There is quite a booming market for second-hand furniture. Many Saturdays there are yard sales where household items can be found. Also look in the classifieds in the newspaper and on ads on www.ecayonline.com for second-hand furniture.
Hardware
Any of the large home stores like A.L. Thompson’s, Cox Lumber, Kirk Home Centre and Uncle Bill’s carry hardware.
Housewares
Whether renting or buying, most houses come fitted with a washer, dryer, fridge and stove. Many also come with a microwave and dishwasher. If you are renting, properties usually come equipped with plates, glasses, cutlery and pots and pans. Linens and towels are less frequently provided. Cayman is very well equipped with four large home centres that stock almost all the basic items you need for your home: Kirk Home Centre, A.L. Thompson’s, Cox Lumber and Uncle Bill’s. If you are looking for kitchen supplies there are various places with quite an extensive choice: The Restaurant Depot in Industrial Park has everything a professional chef could want. Ambience Ltd., Bon Vivant, Home & Office City and Kirk Home Centre have a good selection of kitchen knives, cooking pots, china and kitchen appliances. Bon Vivant are the dealers for Viking and Smeg. Home & Office City carry General Electric and Frigidaire. Kirk Home Centre carry American Standard. A.L. Thompson’s carry Whirlpool, Kohler and Kitchen Aid. Kirk Freeport’s Waterford and Wedgwood store in George Town carry bone china and crystal glassware. These stores are usually open from 9am to 6pm, Monday through Saturday.
Hurricane Supplies
As mentioned in the Hurricane chapter, it is very important that you stock up on all your supplies before hurricane season. Essential food items can be purchased from the major supermarkets. Other items such as torches, batteries, tarpaulins or even a generator, can be sourced at one of the major home centres such as A.L. Thompson’s, Kirk Home Centre, Uncle Bill’s or Cox Lumber. For hurricane shutters, call Hydes and Sons at (345) 949 7062.
Jewellery & Repair
Cayman is a great place to buy jewellery. It can be 50% cheaper than Europe or the US since watches, gems and precious metals are all duty free. If you are shopping for a special piece, the best thing to do is just head downtown and wander around the Kirk Freeport or Island Companies shops, or explore the other jewellery outlets near the cruise ship terminals. For unique antique pieces, Artefacts Ltd. is located on the harbour front. For repairs, Kirk Freeport and Island Companies offer an in-house repair service.
Lighting
Definitely don’t bring lamps and lampshades down with you. First, they are a nightmare to ship. Second only 110/115v with 2-pin plugs work here. Third, your apartment will no doubt come with lamps and, finally, you can buy them here for a reasonable price. Most of the large home depots (A.L. Thompson’s, Kirk Home Centre) carry lamps as does International Lighting & Design in Ed’s Plaza, next to the Butterfield roundabout. All the furniture stores also carry really nice lamps.
Linens
You can buy good quality sheets from Kirk Home Centre and they probably have the largest selection on the Island. You can also buy sheets from A.L. Thompson’s and a few of the other stores if you look around. Ambience Ltd. sells very high thread count European linens. Bedside Manor in Camana Bay also sells linens. Nice towels can be found at Kirk Home Centre and Health Care Pharmacy sells beach towels but we recommend you bring a few of your own as well. You can never have too many towels – especially beach towels.
Bed Sizes – Beds in Cayman are US sizes and not European sizes. This means that a Twin or Single bed is 38” x 74”, a Full bed is 54” x 80”, a Queen is 60” x 80” and a King is 84” x 80”.
Party Accessories
People in Cayman love to throw parties, especially fancy dress parties, and children always dress up for trick or treating at Halloween. So bring what fancy dress gear you have. Other party supplies can be found at Party Mart (Tel: (345) 949 6446) in Pasadora Place on Smith Road. Caribbean Pirates located upstairs in the Jack and Jill Building have an excellent choice of Pirate’s Week attire (Tel: (345) 943 7444). For large party supplies like tables, chairs, plates, napkins etc. can be rented from Massive Equipment Rental (Tel: (345) 949 7990) or from Celebrations Ltd. (Tel: (345) 949 2044).
Plants, Flowers & Garden Centres
Unfortunately there are no corner stalls, like in the US and the UK, where you can buy a bunch of flowers for $5 on your way home. Since all flowers and most plants have to be flown or shipped in, they are more expensive than you would find them at home. Although supermarkets do carry some plants and flowers, the greatest variety are available at local plant nurseries.
East End Garden and Gifts
Austin Conolly Drive, East End
Tel: (345) 947 0737
Every Bloomin’ Thing
On Crewe Road – Tel: (345) 945 1701
EBT carries a wide variety of plants, shrubs, trees and orchids. They hold a flower market every Friday where cut flowers are 50% off and every second Wednesday of the month there is a ‘Root Sale’ on all plants. In the summer months, they also hold classes specifically for children as well as classes on orchid maintenance and general gardening. At Christmas they sell real Christmas trees.
Green Thumb Nursery
On Eastern Ave
Tel: (345) 945 2122
As well as designing solid wood kitchens with granite counter tops, Green Thumb has a large plant nursery. They offer design, construction, maintenance and irrigation installation services.
