Thomas Le
Shopping for Groceries:
Every neighbourhood and quarter has its bakery, butcher and various supermarkets (Aldi, Frida, Kaufland, Konsum, Netto, Rewe, etc.).
Many neighbourhoods also hold weekly markets on a main square in the area. The largest one with lots of regional and fresh produce is held each Friday at Lingnerallee next to Großer Garten (between Deutsches Hygienemuseum and the Transparent VW Factory). To find the closest farmers’ market, click here for a market calendar of regular markets.
Shopping for everything else:
From the main station across Prager Straße to Altmarkt and Neumarkt you will find countless large clothes chain stores and three shopping malls – the Altmarkt Galerie and Centrum Galerie and the QF Passage.
The Äußere Neustadt district in contrast is famous for its large number of small, independent and quirky shops. Happy (window) shopping!
The general range of opening hours for shops in Germany is Monday to Saturday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., but each shop determines its hours individually. As a rule of thumb, smaller shops in quiet streets have shorter opening hours (with most closing at 6 p.m. on weekdays and at 12 noon on Saturdays), while most city center shops close at 8 or 9 p.m. Late-night shopping for groceries is possible at so-called Spätshops/Spätverkauf (informally called Spätis), which have a special permit to open late. Shops are traditionally closed on Sundays.
As you may know from reading our formalities section on Finances, cash and debit cards are the prevailing means of payment in shops and restaurants in Germany. Smaller shops and restaurants may only accept cash payments. Credit cards and checks are uncommon and rarely accepted. So make sure to find a cash machine/an ATM before you head for a night on the town. They are marked with the eurocash (“ec”) sign.
How to tip in restaurants:
The Service is always included in the price of your food and drinks. However, in Germany we generally tip waiters and waitresses for good food and service at 10% of the bill. The only time you don’t tip is when food or service were really bad. You don’t leave the tip on the table when you leave. Instead you round up the bill as you pay, e.g. when you are asked to pay 16.30 EUR, you want to say “Make that 18 EUR, please.”
