Where to Buy Things in Germany as a Student: Store Guide (2026)

Where to buy things in Germany students usually means three questions: where is food cheap, where are toiletries, and why is everything closed on Sunday. German retail is split by store type more strictly than in India. A supermarket rarely carries what a drugstore carries, and almost nobody sells everything.

This guide is the map. Each section links to a deeper article: groceries and Pfand, furnishing a room, student discounts, prepaid SIM and payments, and second-hand and consumer rights. For the monthly budget behind it, use cost of living.

TL;DR: what to buy where

Where should students buy groceries in Germany?

Students in Germany buy most food at a discounter: Aldi Nord, Aldi Süd, Lidl, Penny, Netto Marken-Discount, or Norma. These stock a narrow range, mainly own brands, at low prices. A full-range supermarket (Rewe, Edeka, Kaufland, Globus) stocks more brands and fresh counters, and its own-brand line is priced to compete.

Supermarket own brands worth knowing: ja! (Rewe), Gut & Günstig (Edeka), K-Classic (Kaufland). Lidl labels by category, for example Milbona for dairy.

Loyalty is app-based and changed in 2025: Rewe left Payback for Rewe Bonus, and Edeka joined Payback. Lidl Plus now collects Lidl Punkte. The full breakdown, plus bottle deposit (Pfand) and Indian groceries, is in grocery shopping for students.

Supermarket vs drugstore: where are toiletries?

Toiletries, cleaning products, and cosmetics are cheapest at a Drogerie (drugstore): dm, Rossmann, or Müller. Supermarkets stock some, but drugstores carry the full range and the strong own brands: Balea (body care) and Denkmit (cleaning) at dm, Isana at Rossmann.

A drugstore is not a pharmacy. Prescription medicines, and many medicines that need no prescription, are sold only at an Apotheke. Take your public health-insurance card to a doctor first (TK vs AOK).

Drugstore apps add coupons: the dm app links to Payback, Rossmann's app gives a 10% welcome coupon, and Müller collects points.

Ladenöffnungszeiten Sonntag: why everything is closed

Shop opening hours Germany Sunday questions all have the same answer: shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays in every state. Opening hours are state law since the 2006 federalism reform. Most states allow shops to open around the clock on weekdays. Bavaria limits Monday to Saturday to 6:00 to 20:00.

Bavaria was the last state to pass its own law. The Bayerisches Ladenschlussgesetz has been in force since 1 August 2025:

• Monday to Saturday: open from 6:00 to 20:00 at the latest. Bakeries may open from 5:30.
• Sundays and public holidays: closed.
• Up to 4 shopping Sundays a year, tied to a local event.
• New: small staffless shops (up to 150 m², self-service or vending only) may open outside normal hours, including Sundays.
• Station, long-distance bus station, and airport shops may sell travel supplies. Shops at Munich, Nuremberg, and Memmingen airports may also sell everyday goods.

Source: BayLadSchlG on gesetze-bayern.de.

Elsewhere the law allows long weekday hours, but each store sets its own times. Check the store's page before you rely on late opening. Berlin's corner shops (Spätis) are generally not allowed to open on Sundays either; courts have refused to treat them as tourist shops.

What students do about it: shop on Saturday, keep a small stock of staples, and know that the nearest main station usually has a supermarket open on Sunday for travel supplies.

Furniture, bedding, and the kitchen

Most students furnish a room from IKEA, JYSK (formerly Dänisches Bettenlager), or Poco, plus second-hand from Kleinanzeigen. The IKEA Family card is free and adds member prices, protection if an item breaks on the way home, and lower delivery fees.

Three facts that save money:

1. IKEA takes back unused items for 365 days with the receipt. Mattresses have a 365-night trial.
2. IKEA's discount section is the Zweite-Chance-Markt, and IKEA buys back used IKEA furniture for a gift card.
3. Kleinanzeigen had about 173,000 free ("zu verschenken") listings across Germany on 4 October 2026.

Full guide with delivery prices, plug types, and a starter budget: furnishing a student room.

Electronics: compare before you buy

Buy electronics online or at MediaMarkt and Saturn, after checking the price history on idealo or Geizhals. Refurbished shops (refurbed, Back Market, rebuy, Apple Certified Refurbished) add 12-month or longer guarantees on top of the legal warranty.

Before buying a laptop, check the student discounts list. Apple's education store is about 6% to 8% below the normal price, and Samsung and Lenovo run student stores.

SIM card and payments

A prepaid SIM from ALDI TALK, Lidl Connect, congstar, or fraenk costs about €10 a month for 25 GB in October 2026. Every prepaid SIM must be activated with ID under §172 TKG. A passport works. Read the "per 4 weeks" pricing carefully: that is 13 payments a year, not 12.

Most shops take Girocard and, increasingly, Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard. Cash is still common at bakeries and small shops. Details and the provider comparison: prepaid SIM and payments. Bank account steps are in Girokonto after Anmeldung.

What to buy in Germany vs bring from India

What to buy in Germany vs bring from India comes down to weight and availability.

Atta, dal, basmati, paneer, and branded masalas ship within Germany. Jamoona listed Aashirvaad atta at about €1.58 per kg in a 10 kg pack on 4 October 2026, with free shipping from €39. Rewe stocks a paneer. Packing advice: what to pack.

First week shopping list Germany student

A first week shopping list Germany student order that works:

1. Day 1: SIM card (prepaid, passport), groceries for three days, toilet paper, a towel if you have none.
2. Day 2 to 3: bedding and pillow (IKEA or JYSK), kitchen basics, a reusable shopping bag (shops charge for bags).
3. Day 3 to 5: drugstore run (shampoo, detergent, dish soap, sponges), a multi-socket extension cord.
4. Week 1: install Lidl Plus, the Rewe app, or Payback depending on where you shop. Save every bottle with the Pfand logo.
5. Week 2: look for student offers once you have the enrolment certificate. Many discounts need it.

Admin in the same weeks (Anmeldung, bank, insurance) follows first 30 days.

Second-hand and your rights

Second-hand is normal in Germany. Kleinanzeigen is the main marketplace. Its Sicher bezahlen option holds the money until you confirm receipt, for a buyer fee of €0.50 plus 4.5%. Never pay by Western Union or "Friends and family" PayPal.

Your rights depend on where you bought:

• Online from a business: 14 days to withdraw, no reason needed (BGB §355).
• In a shop: no legal right to return an item that works. Returns are goodwill.
• From any business: 2 years of warranty for defects (BGB §438).
• From a private seller: warranty can be excluded.

Full rules and scam patterns: second-hand and consumer rights.

Common mistakes

• Expecting to shop on Sunday
• Buying toiletries at a supermarket instead of a drugstore
• Throwing away bottles with a Pfand logo (each single-use one is worth €0.25)
• Buying a full furniture set before checking Kleinanzeigen and IKEA's second-chance section
• Paying a deposit on Kleinanzeigen outside the protected payment
• Buying a second Deutschlandticket when your semester ticket already covers it

Official sources

• Bavarian shop hours law (BayLadSchlG)
• Verbraucherzentrale on Pfand rules
• BGB §355, withdrawal right
• DAAD, living in Germany

Related: Groceries · Furnishing · Student discounts · SIM and payments · Consumer rights