Germany is a leading destination for both economic and tourist trips. In addition, people living close to the German border willingly use the opportunity to shop in German stores. Therefore, in this article we will touch upon the following topic: Shopping in Germany – What is worth bringing?
Shopping in Germany – what is worth remembering?
First of all, it is worth emphasizing that the pandemic, and the subsequent war in Ukraine largely contributed to the economic crisis around the world, including Germany and other neighboring countries. Inflation, a drastic increase in migrants, changes in the country’s budget assumptions – these are the results of recent events facing the world.
How does this affect our daily lives?
The most noticeable is the increase in prices. This is why the popular claim that ‘we will shop cheaper in Germany’, no longer fully translates into the present times. Yes, prices for some products, as we will see later, will be slightly lower, but for example, if we add the price for transport – the difference may be negligible.
If you are planning to shop in Germany, there are a few important things to remember:
- In Germany there is a total ban on Sunday trading (Sonntagsruhe).
- Shops are usually open from 9 am to 9 pm. What’s interesting! Shops are open until the last minute, so even at 20:59:59 a person can come in and do shopping.
- It is worth having a credit card in EUR or cash with you, so as not to pay extra for currency conversion.
- At the end of the day, you can find separate shelves in supermarkets, with products that the expiry dates are ending. Then the price is up to 50% lower.
- There is a fee for glass packaging (EUR 0.08-0.15). Packaging can be returned in vending machines, which can be found in virtually every supermarket. But! The machine accepts only packages, which were purchased in a given store.
Current prices and cost of living in Germany – 2022
Types of stores in Germany
- Apotheken / Pharmacies
- Drogeriemärkte / Cosmetics stores
- Schuhgeschäfte / Shoe stores
- Baumärkte / Hardware stores
- Gartencenter / Garden center
- Möhelhäuser / Furniture stores
- Buchläden / Bookstores
- Sportgeschäfte / Sports shops
- Bäckereien / Bakeries
- Metzgereien / Butcher shops
German online stores with shipping to other neighboring countries
Before we move on to grocery shopping, we also recommend visiting German clothing / home furnishings / electronics stores, etc. During the holiday season, discounts can reach even up to 30-40%.
Interestingly! Most things can be viewed and ordered online with delivery to neighboring countries:
What to buy in Germany? – a list of sample purchases in German
If we are talking about grocery shopping, among the cheapest German stores belong:
Check prices for sample food products in Germany:
| Product | Price |
| Loaf of bread (Brot) | EUR 1.19 |
| Water 1.5 liter (Wasser) | EUR 0.60 |
| Oil 1 liter (Öl) | EUR 4.50 |
| Butter 1 package (Butter) | EUR 1.99 |
| Pasta 1 package (Pasta) | EUR 3.00 |
| Coffee (Kaffe) | EUR 5.49 |
| Juicy 1 package (Saft) | EUR 0.95 |
| Eggs 10 pcs (Eier) | EUR 1.89 |
| Cheese 1 kg (Käse) | EUR 8.41 |
| Cham 1 kg (Schinken) | EUR 9.00 |
| Chicken breast 1 kg (Hühnerbrust) | EUR 6.98 |
| Tomatoes 1 kg (Tomaten) | EUR 2.74 |
| Cucumbers 1 kg (Gurken) | EUR 2.65 |
| Apple 1 kg (Äpfel) | EUR 1.99 |
| Grape 1 kg (Traube) | EUR 2.00 |
| Potatoes 1 kg (Kartoffeln) | EUR 1.25 |
| Chocolate 1 pc (Schokolade) | EUR 2.17 |
For a pack of cigarettes (Zigaretten) we will pay approx. EUR 6.00, and for a bottle of local beer (Bier) – approx. EUR 0.59-0.90. A bottle of wine (Wein) costs approx. EUR 4.00-5.00.
Shopping in Germany – What to bring from Germany?
As mentioned at the beginning, many people regularly go shopping in Germany. According to their instructions, it is worth shopping:
- cheese / cold cuts
- seasonal vegetables (asparagus / cucumbers)
- juices
- laundry chemicals (detergents / liquids etc.)
- sweets (Moser Roth, Zetti, Rübezahl, Alpia, Schmidt, Berggold, Ritter Sport)
- coffee (Dallmayr)
- cosmetics
- electronics / home appliances
- alcohol (mainly German beer)
- set for making mulled wine (Feuerzangenbowle)
The nearest German border stores are located, among others, in: Görlitz, Dresden, Guben, Eisenhüttenstadt, Frankfurt / Oder, Heringsdorf.
