Food shopping in Germany is both similar and different from food shopping in many countries, but the differences are especially obvious if you live in an English-speaking country. Some of the differences are simply things to note before you go shopping. Others can be irksome if you are not aware of them in advance.

Shopping trolleys/carts and hand baskets

Shopping carts and hand baskets are of course available at food stores, although hand baskets are rarer. This is thankfully changing. Since Germans tend to shop more frequently for smaller quantities of groceries, these small baskets are very handy and a nice alternative if you are only making a quick trip around the store to pick up a few things.

Shopping carts are almost always located outside the building and not inside as is common in North America. There are often two types of carts: flat-bed carts suitable for carrying cases of drinks as well as normal basket carts. For those who want to purchase one crate of drinks, there is a fold-out metal rack on the back of the basket carts, under the handle bar at shin level. Simply pull the rack forward to use it.

In order to begin using a cart, you need to have either a one euro coin or a small metal or plastic coin substitute. These substitutes are made specifically for this purpose and are often attachable to key chains, which is very handy!

Simply slide the coin or substitute into the slot and push the lever in. The restraining chain will fall away from your cart and off you go. When you are done with your cart, take it back to a collection area, push it up and into the cart in front as normal, insert the chain from the cart in front into the slot in your cart, and your coin will pop out. This is a cost-free, effective way for supermarkets to keep their carts from wandering away from their premises!

What do you do if you don�t have a one euro coin? You�ll have to go inside to one of the cashiers and wait patiently until they are finished with the current customer, then try to catch the cashier�s attention and get change before they close their cash in preparation for the next customer.

Shopping bags

North America is finally getting on the bandwagon that has existed for years in Germany: You must buy your plastic grocery bags if you don�t bring your own environmentally-friendly reusable bags. Plastic bags that you buy at the check-out counter in Germany are stronger and made of thicker plastic than the average North American plastic bag and often come in two sizes. They can be purchased for 10 to 15 cents at the cash. These bags make really good garbage bags in your kitchen but it is a pity not to reuse them if you do buy them: they rarely break unless completely overloaded and weighed down.


So when you go food shopping in Germany, don�t forget to bring your one euro coin and your shopping bags!