7.16 Shopping in Germany-1

Supermarkets

As in all countries, the cost of living in some German towns and cities is more expensive than it is in others. Living in Munich is significantly more costly than living in Rostock or the Ruhr area. Even within the same town it is possible to buy the same product for different prices. It is always worth comparing prices carefully. When being food, note that delicatessens are the most expensive, while specialist shops such as the baker's (die Bäckerei) or the butcher's (die Metzgerei) are not necessarily more expensive than supermarkets.

 

Even amongst supermarkets prices vary considerably. As a general principle, the more self-service there is a supermarket, the less you have to pay. In some supermarkets - as in the one pictured below - you will see nothing but rows of products stacked in boxes on top of one another!

 

By contrast with many other countries it is usual to weigh your fruit and vegetables yourself in German supermarkets. You simply put them on the scales, press the button with a picture of the product and stick the price tag on the plastic bag. Germans are very ecologically-minded and hence many shops charge 10-15 cents for a plastic carrier bag when you get to the checkout desk. Furthermore, the use of re-usable glass or plastic bottles (Mehrwegflaschen) is encouraged and you have to pay a deposit (der Pfand) on most bottles which will be refunded to you when you return the bottles.