Crossing the causeway just for a convenience store sounds loco, but you’ll understand why soon enough. If you’ve visited KSL City Mall often enough, you might already be familiar with Avery-Day at JB Sentral. The Santorini-themed convenience store had photo ops around every corner, as well as snacks and freshly baked desserts.
Well, they’ve done it again. But with a desert-themed store at Nusa Bestari this time round. Here’s what you need to know about Avery-Day’s second outlet.
Image credit: yusthevirus ytv via Google Maps
Unlike the blue-and-white building at the other Avery-Day outlet that instantly reminds you of Santorini, this outlet is more subtle on the outside. But it’s anything but unassuming. The 3-storey convenience store stands out with its giant dome-shaped windows.
Image credit: yusthevirus ytv via Google Maps
Once inside, it’s as if you’ve been transported to an oasis in a desert. The 2nd and 3rd floors have mini cacti gardens that surround sand-coloured sitting areas for you to enjoy the food and drinks you’ve bought.
Image credit: Rodney Sea via Google Maps
If you need more visual cues that you’re in the desert, just look out for the wall murals that show camels walking around. There’s even a replica of Petra in Jordan, although not as tall and grand.
Image credit: Anne Hui Ni via Google Maps
Before you make your way up to check out the sitting area, you might want to browse through the 1st floor for grub. There are more than 2,000 types of snacks available, ranging from your typical chips to biscuits, candies, chocolates, and ice cream.
Image adapted from: @averyday_official via Instagram
But trust us, you’ll want to skip the same-old, same-old you can find in Singapore. Avery-Day has loads of imported snacks from Japan, Korea, and China. Think Godiva chocolate ice cream, Lay’s potato chips in localised flavours like green pepper beef, and truffle and mala prawn crackers.
Image credit: @broadben_diet_starts_tomorrow via Instagram
The imported snacks are great to munch on, especially if you’re on a road trip around JB and get a little snacky. But if you want to sink your teeth into something hot and fresh, there’s a hot snack counter selling buffalo wings (RM13.80, ~S$3.95), loaded hot dogs (from RM9.90, ~S$2.83), and fried springs rolls and fish balls (from RM3.50, ~S$1).
Image credit: Anne Hui Ni via Google Maps
Those with a sweet tooth, who’d much prefer dessert, can get fresh bakes from Vburg Bakery, which has its own mini store inside Avery-Day. They’re known for their fresh fruit tarts (RM48 for 4, ~S$13.75) and swiss rolls (from RM20, ~S$5.71), but you can also pick up sourdough loaves (RM13.90, ~S$3.98) and baguettes (RM9.90, ~S$2.83).
A convenience store might be the last place you’d go to for blind boxes, but there’s a whole section dedicated to them at Avery-Day at Nusa Bestari. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first collectible or you’re dabbling in the luck of the draw for the first time, there are a ton to choose from.
Image adapted from: Putri Athierah, ECVY_ via Google Maps
There are series dedicated to characters like Mickey Mouse, Lotso from Toy Story 3, Hello Kitty and My Melody. You can even score Pop Mart original characters like Dimoo, Skullpanda, and Molly. Trust us, it’s going to be hard sticking to a budget as you try to pull for the rarer “secret” figurines.
It doesn’t really matter if you enter JB via the Tuas or Woodlands checkpoint. It’ll take about 40 minutes from each one to reach Avery-Day at Nusa Bestari. That said, the Tuas checkpoint has less traffic, if you don’t want to be caught behind a queue of cars if you’ve got things to do on your JB itinerary.
If you don’t have a car, you can still visit Avery-Day with ease by boarding bus T33 at JB Sentral and alighting at ‘AmBank Bukit Indah’ bus stop.
Visiting convenience stores is usually an in-and-out activity that barely takes more than 10 minutes. But with the vibe-y desert-themed aesthetics of Avery-Day, thousands of snacks, and blind boxes available, we can guarantee you’d want to spend hours here.
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