Shopping in Brunei

Brunei has shopping options in all four districts, including supermarkets, grocery stores, market stalls known as Pasar, department stores, variety stores and local online shops. Sellers also use social media, while international platforms provide cross-border delivery. Availability, brands and prices depend on the provider and district. The Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS) administers price-control information and the 1-2-Compare service. The Price Control Act covers defined essential goods, including rice, sugar, formulated powdered milk, selected fuel products, liquefied petroleum gas, cooking oils and passenger motor vehicles. Seasonal maximum prices may apply during Ramadan and Syawal to products such as chicken, eggs, butter, margarine, ghee, flour and milk. The 1-2-Compare service lists more than 180 household items and monitors around 60 premises each month. Goods outside these controls normally follow the market price. The Price Control (Display of Prices) Order requires clear price displays and uses units in Romanised Malay. The price-display rules cover many groceries, clothing, footwear, electrical appliances and spare parts, and also include medicines and pharmaceutical products within the relevant scope. Personal and household goods such as nappies, detergents, drinks and sauces can be compared through 1-2-Compare. Cosmetics, perfumes, toiletries, soap and shampoo may raise customs questions. Food, medicines and supplements intended for oral consumption require attention to halal certification, permits or labelling handled through the Halal Food Control Division and MUIB. MORA's portal provides halal-status information for some daily-use goods. Clothing prices and displayed prices are subject to the relevant category rules. Imported leather clothing and accessories can attract excise duty, for example 5 percent in some classifications, but the applicable rate depends on the product's customs classification. Electrical goods may have 0 percent import duty and 5 percent excise under the applicable Royal Customs and Excise Department (RCED) list. Check the current classification rather than assuming that every product in a category has the same treatment. For phones, vehicles and other technology, check the seller's identity, product authenticity, warranty, delivery terms and after-sales support. PPDB has warned about scams on Facebook Marketplace involving phones and vehicles. Unrealistically cheap offers are a warning sign. Pay directly to the original seller, avoid transfers to unrelated third parties and, where appropriate, arrange a face-to-face exchange in a safe place. Suspected scams can be reported to PPDB or the Anti-Scam Helpline at 16993; emergencies should be reported to 993. Online shopping may involve local or international sellers. Brunei has no single national delivery price or delivery period for every merchant, so check the seller's terms before paying. Confirm the website address, merchant identity, contact details, delivery arrangements, privacy information, after-sales service, reviews and the total amount including shipping and possible customs charges. Payment options can include cash, cards, ATMs, cash or cheque deposit machines, online or mobile banking, QR and mobile payments, payment gateways and electronic money. Availability depends on the merchant. The Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB) requires payment-system operators to obtain approval. Contact the bank immediately through an official hotline or branch if a transaction appears suspicious, and never send sensitive banking information in response to phishing messages, texts or calls. Imported goods are handled through RCED rules. Restricted, prohibited or controlled goods can require approval or an import licence under the Customs Order 2006. Imported goods generally require declaration, although post goods that are not dutiable are an exception. Depending on the shipment, customs may request an invoice or purchase bill, freight and insurance details, an airway bill, a packing list, proof of origin, an analysis report, an approval or an import licence. Duties may be ad valorem or specific. If the calculated duty is below BND 1, it is not collected; fractions from BND 1 are treated as a full BND for collection. Individual customs registration is not obligatory, but a customs agent or freight forwarder can help with complex imports. Consumer purchases in Brunei are covered by several legal protections. The Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act applies to business-to-consumer transactions connected with Brunei and addresses misleading claims, deception, hidden fees, surcharges and exploitation of consumer vulnerability. The Sale of Goods Act provides implied protections concerning title, description, quality, fitness and conformity with a sample. The Unfair Contract Terms Act restricts some attempts to exclude consumer liabilities. Keep receipts, invoices, screenshots, chats, payment records and photographs. No general 14-day return right is established in the researched primary sources; refunds, exchanges and returns may instead depend on the merchant's terms, statutory remedies for defects and the contract. The Department of Consumer Affairs can receive complaints about prices, labels and consumer transactions. The Small Claims Tribunal handles qualifying contracts for goods and services and Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act contracts up to BND 10,000. A claim must generally be filed within 12 months of the cause of action. The filing fee is BND 10 for claims up to BND 5,000 and BND 20 for claims up to BND 10,000. Filing is personal, legal representation is not allowed, and the registry may arrange consultation followed by a hearing. Registries operate in all four districts, and an order can be enforced. Shopping choices can also reduce waste. GOV.BN identifies recycling services and household waste depots generally located along main roads in all four districts. JASTRe promotes reusable bags, bottles and food containers, and the No Plastic Bag Weekend runs from Friday to Sunday alongside measures to reduce Styrofoam. Brunei does not have a nationally uniform retail take-back system for all packaging or electronic waste in the researched sources, so check accepted materials and collection times locally.