Copenhagen - How to Shop

When going to supermarkets shopping carts are available but, in most places, you need to insert a coin (10 or 20 kr) to free the cart. This is to ensure shoppers bring back the cart in its appropriate 'parking space', where you retrieve your coin.
 

In supermarkets you pay for plastic bags, two sizes, and there is no packing or carrying assistance.

Supermarkets are also where you return your empty beer or soda cans and beer bottles. Generally you find the machine right before entering the shopping area. 'Flaskepant' is the name of the machine.

As 'mall culture' is slowly picking up in Copenhagen, so is shopping in little specialized shops. Italian delicatessen shops, shops specialized in coffee, wine or organic produce are very much on the rise. These shops you can find more or less all over the city, but few are in particular areas.

Bargaining is not in the Danish culture, but you might give it a go in small shops around town and in the Arab and Turkish quarters, especially if you are a repetitive client and establish a rapport with the owner; you request for a nicer price is less likely to be satisfied by sales attendants.

Sales

The biggest 'sale' period is January. This is where the good deals can be made on for example kitchen appliance and other bigger items.
 

Late summer, around August-September is another sales period.

In supermarkets there is not any particular period with special offers. They seem to have a constant flow of 'birthdays' and 'anniversaries' which you will be informed of by the continuous flow of advertisements delivered in your mail box.

Some, not all, supermarkets have a member/loyalty card, which grants you a particular discount or deal. You should ask in the individual supermarkets, if you would like tobenefit form the advantages of the member card.