Germany # 39; the largest bike shop
Germans love to shop In fact, you could say it is a national pastime, which is a good thing because it allows to find everything you need easier.
The mall, however, that you may be accustomed, is not nearly as well developed in Germany, but more and more of them have opened in the last two years, including a variety of shopping centers.
You can find a number of Big Box stores in many suburbs of the city, and even in some urban centers Hela Baumarkt and Hornbach for example, are do-it-yourself stores MediaMarkt and Saturn on the other, the devices offer, electronics, music, video and computers and Ikea and Moebel Martin phones have their own outlets.
There are also hyper-stores such as Real, Kaufland and Globus Handelshof that offer a wide range of products including groceries, household products, beverages, pet supplies, clothing, etc. These hyper-stores are located in shopping centers, often coupled with some other large specialty stores.
Then there are the German discounters such as Aldi and Lidl, which enjoy almost cult following and specialize in grocery stores and a weekly rotation of items ranging from textiles to toys or office supplies at unbeatable prices.
Mi of large cities all have their Marktstrassen or traditional market streets, pedestrian zones often charming with running stores on either side of the street Good transport systems in common make it less necessary for shopping in car, and many cities have revamped their shopping areas of downtown and is pleasant places to walk and do outdoor shopping, musicians sidewalk cafes, benches, fountains, trees and shrubs, fruits, flowers and vegetables weekly market stalls, shopping a pleasant experience.
Changes in the law and the rise of discount stores has led to price reductions refreshing, especially in food stores.
Once you get away from the shops and discount stores, however, specialization is the name of the game Many small shops offer a wide selection of products in a limited range of products, such as fashion, china, glassware, leather, of metal, footwear, handicrafts, toys, electrical products, musical instruments, optical instruments, books, flowers, spices, oriental carpets, sports goods, tobacco products, antiques, candles, cards to name a few are often forced, however, these niche stores to charge higher prices to stay competitive.
Specialization is particularly sensitive in food stores The Butcher butcher Backerei Konditorei bakery and pastry shop are run by masters of their profession The product is good and these places are often set up so you can enjoy a new roll, hot sausage or a piece of cake right on the very special places like the grocery store is the health food store Reformhaus where health conscious Germans get their organic yogurt, whole grain breads, the tofu and vitamins.
The medieval walled city of Rothenburg is always worth a visit, especially as is the home of the mother of all Christmas stores, K the Wohlfahrt of store visitors should allow time to take in the Christmas National Museum, just above the main shop.
Places like Luxembourg have long been recognized for much lower prices on a variety of items, including gas, tobacco, coffee, tea and alcohol Many many West Germans fill their tanks in the Grand Duchy during the week and on Sunday, when a car wash is not found in the Federal Republic with imposition of leading German oil prices to soar, Luxembourg and Switzerland even offer pleasant entertainment and shopping on Sunday.
Sometimes the savings are possible by ordering online and the Board of the German trade or Hauptverband des Deutschen Einzelhandels, reports that 93 9 percent of German households now have computers you can eliminate the fees of the travel agent when booking air and hotel rooms tickets, and many online retailers themselves have saved the expense of a brick and mortar store large mail order companies such as Neckermann and have put the What all of their online catalogs, available 24. 7
Another advantage of online shopping is Expatriates variety can turn to the Web for items in the house that are not normally available in German stores Although there are British and American stores in major German cities of many expatriates don t have easy access to the delight tHEY many customers, enterprising store owners now offer their products online with websites of English variety practices, ease and safety of payment and efficient expedition combine to make online shopping a great alternative.
Personal checks that Americans know them are virtually nonexistent in Germany non-monetary transactions are generally by transfer of funds or debit card of the customer's bank or with an EC card credit cards are not as well established as in d other countries, but are becoming increasingly popular.
Thank you to changes in the law, the hours are fairly liberal, many shops are open from 8 am until the end AS10 that h from Monday to Saturday and usually closed on Sundays - there are always exceptions so not verify in advance the major train stations and airports have stores open around the clock neighborhood kiosks also have extended hours, such as service stations, which generally have non-automotive items for sale.
It pays to monitor annual sales; winter-winter sale Schlussverkauf fence and was closeout sale Sommer-Schlussverkauf These usually begin on the last Monday of January and July, respectively, and through the next second Saturday, they used to be a question of law, and were the only authorized during the year, but recent changes mean that you might find a sale at any time of the year either for an anniversary of the founding of the store or at the end of a season.
Although sales of closeout and they are usually kept They offer they are more formal, customers as many products, including clothing, sports equipment and household items at savings of up to half the price.
Sales are not the only way to save money in Germany Sometimes you can find coupons offering special discounts on specific items and percentage off on certain items.
Slightly more popular are the retail rewards programs, in which the customer receives a card he or she presents during a purchase in a participating store a certain number of points, often one cent for every euro will be recorded on map When enough points have been assembled, the customer can have something for free or at a discount participants cover the entire range of supermarkets and department stores to car rentals, telephone companies and hotels.
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