Shopping in Dresden

There's a lot to learn about shopping in Germany. It is set up much differently than the United States and will take more preparation and time than you may be used to. You will probably be doing a lot of your shopping by tram or bus and within your neighborhood. So you will need to make short trips in order to be able to carry your purchases as you walk home.

Stores are smaller and specialize in particular types of shopping, so you will need to go to one store for food, a different store for hygiene products and a different store for medicines & first aid products. Sometimes finding something as simple as a roll of tape can pose a difficult challenge. Many of the larger supermarkets such as Kaufmarkt, Lidl, Spar, Intermarché, Konsum carry more than just food. Dresden does have a Wal-mart that is accessible by bus on the far end of Dresden, in Heidenau.

Since most of your shopping may be done in short trips to the neighborhood store, try and make at least one trip to the grocery store once a week to stock up on the heavy items. Your refrigerator will be small and you will probably be short on storage space.

Most stores do not provide free shopping bags, you will either have to bring them yourself or buy your bags at the counter. Always keep a shopping bag in your purse and car for quick trips to pick up few items. When you make a large shopping trip you can bring collapsible crates, boxes or large bags to help haul your purchases to the car and into your home.

Clothing and shoe sizes vary by country, click here for a chart that you can print and take with you.

Shopping Hours

All stores are closed on Sundays. The only exception are the stores at the train stations. You will be able to find anything you need in a pinch - but the lines are usually very long.

Grocery stores are usually open at 8:00 and close between 18:00 - 20:00. On Saturday, they usually close at 16:00.

Department Stores are usually open from 9 - 9:30 and close at 20:00 Monday - Saturday. But some may close sooner - especially on Saturday.

Apotheke's (Pharmacies) are open 9:00-18:00 Mon-Fri and until 13:00 on Saturday.

It's not unusual for small shops to close for lunch for an hour or two.

General Shopping Needs

Grocery Stores

At grocery stores you will need a Euro handy to rent a shopping cart. Just put the Euro in the slot, push the button and the cart will disconnect from the cart in front of it. When you have put all of your groceries into your car, return the cart, reconnect the chain and your Euro will pop out.

Small neighborhood stores: Konsum, Lidl, Nettomarkt, Aldi, Penny Markt

Large stores with grocery, home & hygiene products:

Apotheken (Pharmacies)

If you are sick or need any first aid products you will have to go to an Apotheke and ask for what you need. Prepare before you go with a dictionary or phrase book so you can explain your symptons. Being good at charades is a big asset!

Beauty & Hygiene

Hair care, makeup, baby items, candy, cleaning supplies and gifts. Schlecker & Rossman are the two most common. These types of stores can be found in any neighborhood, all over Dresden. Bring your own bag!

Housewares & Home Repair

Wal-mart has just about everything for a reasonable price and a few things that you might find in the U.S. but are harder to find in Germany.

Kaufland is a popular European home products & home repair store simliar to Home Depot & Lowes in the U.S. There are several locations, one near AMD, right after the airport.

Go to their website to find the location nearest you:
www.kaufland.de , choose "Vereinfachte Darstellung" to get to the map. Type Dresden in the "Ort" field. All of the Kauflands & Kaufmarkt (groceries) are marked by their logo with addresses on the right. You can look on a Dresden map to find the zip codes nearest you.

IKEA has contemporary, reasonably priced furniture, housewares and linens. This is a great place to find computer tables and furniture that require assembly. There is only one in Dresden and it is located at Elbe Park off the A4. View their map on the website.

Shopping Centers (Einkaufszentren)