Grocery Shopping in Denmark

Imagine you arrive in Denmark after many hours of travelling, you unpack your bags at your new accommodation, and head out to find a grocery shop so you can stock up the empty fridge. You see a shop called Netto, that looks a lot like a grocery shop. Perfect. But as you walk towards it you realise there is also a shop called Rema, and next to Rema is a shop called Lidl, and further down the road is a shop called Føtex, and they also sell groceries at the 7Eleven you just passed.

In Denmark there are almost 20 different kinds of grocery shops. That can seem quite overwhelming if you arrive from a country where you are used to only a few large supermarket chains. While the shops here are many, their grocery selection are quite similar. If you’re looking for a specific herb for your Asian cuisine, a Middle Eastern spice, or a large variety of legumes, then you will need to visit a speciality store.

In this article, we dig into grocery shopping in Denmark to help you make sense of the many grocery shops, their selections, and their prices.

The grocery sector in Denmark consists of five grocery groups: Salling Group, Coop and Dagrofa (all Danish and the most dominant groups), Rema1000 (Norwegian), and two German supermarket chains Aldi and Lidl. Salling Group and Coop own most of the grocery shops with a market share of about 60%  . Their shops include both discount shops and larger more expensive stores with a bigger variety of goods.

Discount Shops

Many people choose to shop their basics at discount shops, and then may use the more expensive supermarkets to buy fruit, meat, vegetables or other specific products. The lower priced supermarkets include Rema, Lidl, Netto, Aldi, 365discount, and Fakta, with Rema and Lidl said to be the cheapest options. Rema sells its own Rema 1000 brand, which also expands to their organic line called Gram Slot. This gives customers a cheaper option when it comes to basic household and food items.   

Shopping at discount shops can require a bit of deep breathing before you enter the shop, as some of them can be quite difficult to navigate. Netto in particular, is known to appear rather chaotic with spot deals placed randomly in big basket sections in the shop. While you may find a good deal in these sections, many people find it confusing looking through items ranging from chocolate buttons to tuna and breakfast cereal.

The Mid-to-High Range Supermarkets

The mid-to-high range supermarkets include Føtex, Meny, Bilka, Superbrugsen, and Kvickly. These shops are often bigger and have more variety of goods. Bilka is the biggest supermarket and the closest you get to a hypermarket in Denmark. Here you can find everything from garden tools to chicken wings and cosmetics. In Aarhus there is only one Bilka and it is located in Tilst.   

Speciality Shops

For those missing exotic flavours, Asian delicacies, or African specialities, you may need to track down your local specialty shop. They can be found in most cities or larger towns, and there’s a few of these around Aarhus too. Moreover, in Aarhus there is a large marketplace called Bazaar Vest located in Brabrand. Visiting Bazaar Vest is an experience on its own. The large food mecca is a whirlwind of culture, scents, spices, and tastes. Besides an abundance of vegetables, fruit, and speciality products there are also bakeries and cafes.      

How Do Danes Shop?

Most Danes will have their favourite grocery shop or supermarket chain. One that stocks their preferred food or household items and is easy to navigate. Danes are used to not being able to get all their weekly groceries at one shop. Instead, many people study the tilbudsavis (grocery advertising flyers) like it’s the bible and will happily ride their bike an extra kilometre or two to get to where the specials are. So, when people tell you they spent all morning shopping, they are not making it up!  

Online shopping is also becoming a popular way of getting the weekly shopping done. When shopping online, you can either choose to have your groceries delivered or pick them up when packed and ready. Check out some of the best online shopping apps and websites here.

You may have noticed too, that some shops have a ‘scan as you go’ solution. This allows the customer to jump the queue by scanning and packing the groceries as they are pulled off the shelves and pay via a QR code as they leave the shop.

Good To Know

• Most shops are open from 7:00 to around 21:00-22:00.
• Since most Danes don’t carry cash anymore, groceries are mostly paid by card or mobilepay
• Read the advertisement flyers if you want to save money on groceries, household items, beauty, or hardware (there are multiple brands of hardware stores as well)
• Most bottles are part of a ‘pant’ return system. When you buy a drink in a bottle/can you’re charged a surcharge, which you get back when you return the bottle/can to the ‘flaskeautomat’ (reverse vending machine)
• The cashier always asks you if you would like your receipt printed after you’ve paid. They will either ask if you want your ‘bon’ or a ‘kvittering’ (basically the same thing)

Finally, it is not just finding your way around the shop that can be difficult, it is also understanding the labels on grocery items. Perhaps you’ve experienced buying turkey instead of chicken or pouring buttermilk in your tea instead of normal milk. We get it. So, we have created a handy little Danish-English grocery dictionary, which lists the most common groceries and also explains some of the labels you may see on certain products.

Happy shopping 😊

We look forward to seeing you around!