You can find almost every imaginable product in the big department stores located in the city centre of Osnabrück. There are also »Fachgeschäfte« (specialty stores), where the goods are often of a higher quality and a higher price.

Please note that groceries in department stores are usually very overpriced! The cheapest groceries are available at your local »Supermarkt«. Some of these supermarkets are so-called discounters; they are able to keep their prices low by maintaining fewer employees and simple interiors.

Quality fruit and vegetables are sold at the weekly outdoor markets that take place in different parts of town . The (usually Turkish) greengrocers’ shops often have affordable prices, and sell a variety of oriental spices, food and other products. There are also other specialty shops that sell international groceries, for example the Asia shops.

Shopping in Adherence to Dietary Rules

Those who follow particular dietary rules for religious or other reasons must often look for alternative food shopping venues. Vegetarian food can fortunately be found almost anywhere. Meatless meals are served in the refectories and snack cafeterias maintained by the Studentenwerk,  as well as in pubs and restaurants around town. People of the Muslim faith will find butchers who sell and process only beef and lamb.

Methods of Payment

In Germany, smaller purchases are usually paid with cash (Euros and Cents). In many cases, you can also pay with your debit card (»ec-Karte« = electronic cash), which comes with your giro account. With this card you can also take out money at the cash point. Credit cards are not very popular with many vendors, especially food stores – they are mostly used for larger purchases. It is always best to ask the staff beforehand if EC cards or credit cards are accepted,  and it is helpful to have the necessary amount of cash with you just in case.

Also be sure to save your receipts for major purchases! Otherwise it will be impossible to get your money back or exchange something, or take advantage of special guarantees and rebates.

Store Hours

Opening times can vary quite a bit from place to place. Stores usually close by 6:30 pm, some close much later, at 10:00 pm. On Saturdays, many shops close at 8pm or earlier, and on Sundays virtually all shops stay closed. Some bakeries are open for a few hours on Sunday mornings, however.

For smaller shopping you can also go to the kiosks and filling stations. They are open at night and on Sundays, and some of the filling stations are even  open 24 hours a day. But note that the prices are much higher than in other shops!

Further information can be found at the homepage of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) under Eating and shopping.

Postal Service and Telephone

Important details about the postal service and the use of public phones are available on the DAAD page Media and telecommunications. A recent addition are the »Packstationen« (packing station) facilities, where you can fetch and send parcels day and night. Please refer to the DHL website on the page Packstation.

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