Shopping is a compulsory component of living in Iceland, many people first arrive in the country and start shopping at the nearest supermarkets to them. But this is a pricier option, but not to worry in time you will get to know of the nearest big brand supermarket to you that have cheaper prices and many options to choose from.
Iceland quite a lot of supermarkets but there are big names that you can find everywhere in the country. They include Bonus which is the cheapest and most affordable grocery store, followed by Kronan with Netto and Hagkaup which are open for 24 hours.
All the stores sell different products, from world names to locally made products, these also have store brands that are cheaper and even as good in quality. Iceland (a supermarket) is divided into the much smaller but well-stocked Iceland verslun and Iceland Maxi. Other shopping and convenience stores in Iceland include Super1, 10-11, Samkaup Strax, Kjörbúðin, and many other smaller shops distributed in cities.
When shopping for other items such as clothes, homewares, electronics, and appliances you can go to supermalls such as Kringlan, and Smaralind.
One good thing for students is that a lot of these stores have online shopping stores where you can shop for grocery items and have them delivered to you. This doesn't only save cost it also saves you the time and stress.
Some helpful tips to saving money or to have a not too stressful shopping experience in Iceland are as follows;
- Use any translation apps to better aid in knowing the Icelandic names for your favorite products. Don't underestimate this factor as many items look similar but are way different, so if you do not know the Icelandish language please have google translate.
- Carry your shopping bag as you will have to pay extra for them in Iceland.
- There are many student discounts for shopping with monthly cards offered by the majority of supermarkets in Iceland. They provide price slashes on several items from food to clothes and even student books.
- New books can be expensive so why not just rent them, many university bookstores have the option of renting second-value course handouts or even academic books
- Iceland is an eco-friendly country, so recycling is taken seriously, you get a coupon for every time you recycle your cans or bottles and even plastics, these coupons can be put towards shopping expenses or even monetized.
"I enjoy shopping and I found it affordable but some of the clothes are definitely not of the highest quality." - Hassan from Turkey
