Shopping in Mannheim

Some information and advice on where to shop in Mannheim.

Food

There aren't really any big supermarkets in the centre of Mannheim, but there are still a few good options for food shopping.

Rewe is the nicest supermarket I've found. There's one near to the university at Paradeplatz, and a slightly bigger one on the bottom floor of the Q6-Q7 shopping centre. I find them to be a bit on the expensive side, so you're better off going in if you want something specific or only need a few items.

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Lidl and Aldi are probably your best options if you want to do a big shop without spending too much. Obviously they don't have everything but they do have most of the basics at pretty cheap prices. Both have in-store bakeries, and fresh fruit and veg too!

Mannheim is also quite big on organic food, and there's a decent Bio shop near the university. It sells a variety of organic stuff, including fresh fruit and veg, ready meals and a lot of vegan/vegetarian options. It's a bit more expensive than the average supermarket though.

There is also a food market at Marktplatz every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning which is definitely worth checking out. You can get fresh fruit and veg, pasta, cheese, bread, meat and more. I find it's a little more expensive than the supermarkets, but the quality is a lot better (particularly for fruit and veg).

Toiletries and makeup

Although you can pick up basic toiletries in most of the supermarkets pretty easily, there are also some drugstores that sell a wider range.

DM is probably the cheapest, and the equivalent of Superdrug or Boots. You can get all your toiletries there, as well as a few makeup brands. There are several DMs dotted around the city, so they're pretty convenient too!

Rossman is very similar to DM and is also pretty easy to find in the city.

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Douglas is probably the best place to look for makeup. They have quite a few brands, including some of the higher end ones. They also sell perfume and some limited skincare. Their own-brand stuff isn't too bad either! There are a couple of these along the main shopping street.

And finally, Galeria Kaufhof is a department store, similar to John Lewis or House of Fraser. They tend to have a good range of makeup and skincare brands, particularly the higher end ones that you're not likely to find in places like DM. There's one right next to Paradeplatz and another one nearer to the Water Tower.

Home

For those of you looking to decorate or furnish your room, I thought it would be useful to collate a few of the best places to find stuff for the home!

There's a huge Primark in the Q6-Q7 shopping centre, with an extensive home section upstairs. This is ideal if you're just looking for some cheap and cheerful decorations for your room. They also sell bedding, pillows and duvets which are pretty decent quality for the price!

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Butlers is right next to the shopping centre, and is also a good place to look if you want some decorations for your room. They also have a really good kitchen section! It's a bit more on the expensive side, but good quality stuff if you're prepared to invest.

Woolworth, at T1, is an absolute lifesaver! They sell stationery, knick-knacks, tupperware, plates and bowls, cleaning stuff, bins, bedding, lightbulbs, batteries etc. all for super cheap! Definitely worth checking out, you can find some absolute bargains in there.

There's an Ikea not too far out of town if you're in need of actual furniture. If, like me, you don't have access to a car, you're probably best off buying online and getting it delivered. It's not that expensive for delivery to addresses within Mannheim and makes like a lot easier!

Hope that helps!

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