Shopping in Germany — Supermarkets, Pfand and Prices

Supermarket Types

Discounter — Budget Shopping

• Aldi (Nord/Süd) and Lidl — the cheapest groceries
• Smaller selection, house brands, weekly offers
• Also: Netto, Penny, Norma

Full-Range Supermarkets — Larger Selection

• Rewe and Edeka — more branded products, fresh counter (cheese, deli meat, meat)
• More expensive than discounters, but larger selection
• Organic supermarkets: Alnatura, denn's, Bio Company

Drug Stores

• dm and Rossmann — hygiene, cosmetics, baby products, cleaning supplies
• Often cheaper than in supermarkets

The Pfand System

Germany has a Pfand deposit system for bottles and cans:

Return bottles and cans to the Pfand machine in the supermarket. You'll receive a receipt that you can redeem at the checkout.

Payment

• EC-Karte (Girocard) — most commonly accepted
• Bargeld — always carry cash; many small shops are cash-only
• Credit card — often possible in large supermarkets, but not everywhere
• Contactless (NFC) — increasingly common, but not everywhere

Important: At checkout, you must place your items on the belt yourself and pack quickly after scanning — German cashiers are very fast!

Opening Hours

• Mon–Sat: approx. 7:00–22:00 (major cities), until 20:00 (small towns)
• Sunday: Closed (exception: train stations, gas stations)
• Public holidays: closed

Money-Saving Tips

• Check flyers — weekly offers (apps: Kaufda, MeinProspekt)
• Buy house brands — "Ja!" (Rewe), "Gut & Günstig" (Edeka) are significantly cheaper
• Buy bread from the bakery — fresher and often cheaper than in supermarkets
• Weekly market — fresh fruits and vegetables, often cheaper for bulk purchases
• Best-before date — products nearing expiration are discounted (up to -50%)

As of: March 2026. All information without warranty.