Shopping

Plenty of choice

Shopping in the towns
You will probably be surprised at the wide range of goods to be found in a supermarket in Greenland – in many ways similar to what you would find in a European supermarket. However, since almost everything except fish and certain meat products has to be imported to Greenland either by ship or by aircraft, price levels are a little higher than in Europe. Alcohol, tobacco, fresh fruit and vegetables and dairy products are considerably more expensive in Greenland, however.

Shopping in the settlements
In the settlements the choice of goods in the shops is of course somewhat more limited. The more inhabitants there are in the settlement, the greater the choice. On the other hand, it is often possible to buy fresh fish, lamb and seal meat at reasonable prices. Souvenirs are also occasionally sold in shops in towns and settlements, but depending on the type of article in question, the quality is not always as good as the types of souvenirs that are sold at tourist offices and in souvenir shops.

Opening hours
In the major towns supermarkets are typically open on weekdays from 10:00 – 17:30, on Fridays until 18:00 and Saturdays from 09:00 – 13:00. In many towns, however, there are corner shops and grocer’s shops that have longer opening hours and which are also open on Sundays.

Shopping for hikers
If you are on a hike lasting for several days, you should take your dry provisions with you from home as you cannot expect to be able to buy specialised products in the shops. However, in general the population in Greenland is used to being out in the great outdoors, and therefore in the vast majority of towns it is possible to buy outdoor clothing and equipment, including the small gas cartridges used for cooking food when out hiking. Gear for hunting and fishing is also usually available.