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Let's Go Shopping! |
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 It is easy to find a food store in Germany. There are roughly 40,000 small groceries, 45,000 specialty food stores ( like bakeries, butchers or organic stores) 10,000 large supermarkets or hypermarkets 15,000 so called discount stores and 3,000 kiosks and open air farmers markets in the country. Any one of these stores can be reached easily by foot or by bike in most cities or villages within a few minutes. Thus, most Germans go food shopping almost daily, in contrast to North America, where the grocery trip is done usually once a week in a mall with a large supermarket.
As most people in North America, Germans not only value quality in food (freshness, taste, esthetic packaging, convenience, etc.), but also the least expensive price. Approximately 12% of the available household income is spent on foods each year, primarily in so called discount food stores. These stores are very frugally equipped and offer an assortment of the 800 best selling food products at very low prices. The average supermarkets or food section of department stores carry on average up to 10,000 products and have a much greater assortment of fresh foods. Moreover, small specialty food stores like bakeries, butchers or organic growers prosper all of over Germany.
Here is a short description of the major formats of German food stores: |
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Discounters (or limited assortment stores)
These stores offer foods under their own label at a steep discount price of 20%-30% below the regular supermarket price. The leading chains are Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Penny, and Norma. Together, German discounters have leading market share of 40% within Germany and operate across Europe and in North America. For example, Aldi is represented with over 800 stores in the United States, known as "Aldi" as well as "Trader Joe's" stores. |
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Regular groceries
These stores offer on average up to 10,000 products, usually with large assortments of fresh foods (fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses and dairy products). Every supermarket is allowed to sell alcoholic beverages. Among the leading chains are Rewe, Edeka, or Tengelmann (which is also represented in the USA under the name "A&P"). |
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Gourmet shops, department stores, online shops
The fans of exceptionally high quality, rare and international specialties find their fare in specialty gourmet shops like "Dallmayr" in Munich, in large department stores like Kaufhof or through online merchants. The probably best known food department of a major department store is in the "Kaufhaus des Westens" (KDW) in the center of Berlin, which has become a magnet for tourists from all over the world. The internet site of the food department reveals the enormous breadth of the assortment sold in this huge store. |
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Organic food stores and "Reformhäuser" (health and nature stores)
About 130 years ago, a "life reform movement" started in Germany, which looked for alternatives to industrialized and "de-natured" medicine and foods. Out of that grew a demand for natural remedies, from herbal medicine to homeopathy, which is still strong today. It is thus no chance, that Germany was the birthplace of organic (bio/dynamic) farming, which was developed by Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s near Berlin. Today, Germany is Europeís largest markets for organic foods and thousands of small and large shops specialize on these kinds of products. Leading retailers are basic, Naturata, or Tegut. This link provides a guide to organic foods stores in Germany. Reformhäuser offer a broad assortment of natural and health-related foods, supplements and bodycare products with all natural (no artificial) ingredients and often made by small, non-industrial producers. For a description of these stores and the life reform movement click here. |
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Bakeries and pastry shops
Germans love their breads and cakes. Thatís why you can find a bakery almost at every street corner. There are over 16,000 bakeries in Germany which produce over 300 different types of breads. Many master bakers still produce handmade artisanal breads which are sold fresh each day in proprietary shops. Few shops emanate aromas as mouthwatering as German bakeries in the morning.
Pastry Shops are usually more upscale than bakeries and primarily a large assortment of elaborately made cakes and cookies. Often, pastry shops are also coffee houses with ornate seating areas where you can order fresh coffee, tea or hot chocolates together with cakes or cookies.
Here is an example of a bakery/pastry shop in Warburg, North Rhine Westphalia. |
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Metzgerei und Käsefachgeschäfte
Butcher shops offer fresh meats and cold cuts, which are frequently produced by the master butcher of the respective store. You can find a great variety of cold cuts, sausages and meat cuts in a butcherís glass showcase. A growing number of German consumers like to know, where the meat comes from and how it is produced, prepared and stored. They will look for the new QS seal, a quality and safety control system that audits each step of the production from the farm to the store (besides the customary veterinary and health checks). More information about the QS seal.
Cheese stores, as the name says it, are specialized in the sales of specialty cheeses. You can find all kinds of German cheeses. like Allgäuer Emmentaler, Tilsiter or Butterkäse. Frequently, butcher stores also offer a large variety of cheeses. Not everyone is allowed to run a bakery or butcher shop. Master bakers, pastry chefs, or master butchers are professionals who started as apprentices and completed many years of training and specialized school education. Here's a link to a well known meat retailer in Munich. |
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Farmers Markets
Each city or town in Germany features a farmerís market once or twice a week, usually in the downtown area, where local farmers can sell their fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses meats and other foodstuff directly to consumers. This is a tradition dating back over a thousand years and well liked by consumers even today. Between Monday and Saturday, the farmers pitch their wares with loud voices, which gives them the nickname "Marktschreier" (mountebank). In some towns, there are competitions among merchants who can praise his products with the loudest voice and the funniest manner. Some port cities like Hamburg or Bremen feature large fish markets, where you can buy freshly caught fish each day. |
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Farmshops
Many farmers also sell their products, like fruits, vegetables, eggs, breads, cheeses, meats etc. directly in a so-called farm shops. Especially during asparagus and berry seasons, you can find many signs in rural areas pointing to a farm shop. |
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