Shopping in Germany can be a daunting experience if you are not familiar with how things work here.
The worst is probably grocery shopping. In South Africa there is usually someone at the till that bags your groceries for you. It is mostly a relaxed experience and you can even pay some of your utility bills at the till.
In Germany there is no grocery packers and the workers at the till are extremely fast and efficient. So much that you do not even have time to pack in your own groceries. And don’t even dare to ask for a plastic bag! The best is to take your own re-usable bags with you, and pack your items into the trolley so that you can bag them at your leisure.
Payment options have changed since the Corona epidemic, and more stores are accepting cash cards and mobile payments. Credit cards are still not accepted at all stores.
Shops like Rewe now have self help tills where you scan your own items and pay. It works with the weight of your items that you have to unpack before scanning so it is suited when you have only a few items.
Another difference to shopping in SA is the personal service you get in some stores, especially clothes or speciality shops.
Often you will get a salesperson asking if they can help you, and if you do need help they will make a great effort to give the correct advice.
Some clothing stores will help you with your wardrobe or give advice on what to wear to a specific event.
In some shoe shops, the attendant will ask if want to keep the box (die Schachtel). The next question will then be if you need a bag or have a bag (die Einkaufstüte or just Tüte). If you brought your own you can just answer “ja ich habe eine dabei danke”
Something you should never do is make use of the advice in a shop and then go buy the item online. This is not fair to the salesperson.
Clothes

Where to shop for clothes
We compiled a list of shops where you can buy clothes. These are purely suggestions and you are welcome to add you own via our Contact us page Good to know: Most traditional shops have online shops. The more upmarket shops offer personal assistance in finding the correct clothes. Most shops

Clothing sizes – Women
Woman’s Clothing The following table is a rough guide for Woman’s clothing. Most online shops will have a measurement guide, but even then it might not fit as expected. Shoes This is not a precise conversion, but a rough indication. This for men’s and women’s shoe sizes Vocabulary English German Bra
House and home

Beds, Mattresses and Duvets
The sleeping arrangements in Germany is a bit different from what we are used to in South Africa. The average German couple sleeps on a bed base with two single mattresses and each with their own duvet.Some would argue for this but I would at least want to share a
Additional information

Similar Shops
Back home, you know exactly in what shop to look for specific items, where to find quality products and what shops have cheaper options.We tried to make a comparison of SA and German shops in the list below. You welcome to send us your suggestions via or Contact us page Related

Product Substitutes
Most products we know in South Africa are available in Germany, but unfortunately not all of them. Here is a list of product substitutes for some of them. I you would like more information about where to buy South African products in Germany, see our Products we love page. Food related products

Substitutes and Food Info
Many South African products can be bought online. For those items you cannot find in Germany, most have a substitute. We list our substitute suggestions here, as well as some German translations Related content
Some helpful phrases/Terms:
- No thank you, I am just looking – Nein danke, ich schaue mich nur um.
- Where are the changing rooms – Wo sind die Umkleidekabinen?
- Can I try it on? – Kann ich es anprobieren?
- I’ll take it – Ich nehme es
- How much does it cost? – Wieviel kostet es?
- Do you need a bag? – Brauchen Sie eine Tüte?
- Do you want a receipt? – Möchten Sie einen Beleg?
- Special offer –Â das Sonderangebot
- Sale – der Ausverkauf
- Shopping basket – der Einkaufskorb
- Shopping trolley – der Einkaufswagen
- to pay – bezahlen
- Bakery – die Bäckerei
- Department store – das Kaufhaus
- Sweet Shop – der Süßwarenladen
- Butcher – die Fleischerei oder die Metzgerei
- Chemist – die Aphoteke
- Supermarket – der Supermarkt
- Till or checkout- die Kasse
- The price – der Preis
- Bag – die Tasche
For more have a look on this page
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