Shopping in Germany is straightforward once you know a few words and a few customs. Here are both.
Where to go
You buy bread at a Bäckerei, groceries at a Supermarkt, and medicines at an Apotheke, a pharmacy, which is a separate shop from the general chemist. The word for a shop in general is Geschäft.
In the shop
If an assistant asks whether they can help, you can say what you want, or politely decline:
Ich suche eine Jacke.
I am looking for a jacket.
Ich schaue nur, danke.
I am just looking, thank you.
To ask about another size, say Haben Sie das in einer anderen Größe? (Do you have it in another size?). To try something on is anprobieren, and when you have decided, say Das nehme ich. At the Kasse (the till), you may be asked whether you need a Tüte, and carrier bags are usually paid for, so many people bring their own.
Three customs
- Sunday closing. Most shops are closed on Sundays, and the Öffnungszeiten (opening hours) on the door tell you when they are open. Bakeries often open for a few hours, and petrol stations and shops at stations stay open.
- Pfand. On many drinks bottles and cans there is a refundable deposit, called Pfand, typically 25 cents on single-use ones. You get the money back by returning the empty bottles to a machine in the supermarket.
- Cash and cards. Cards are widely accepted, but smaller places may prefer cash. There is more on this in German numbers, prices and money.