Grocery Shopping in Luxembourg

Living in a country with such a high standard of life, one should not be surprised with the equally high cost of groceries. With a wide variety of supermarkets, you should define your own preferences accordingly to your food habits and budget plan.

Large Hypermarkets and traditional supermarkets:

Auchan (http://www.auchan.lu), Cactus (http://www.cactus.lu), Cora (http://www.cora.lu) and Match (http://www.supermarche-match.lu) are the larger sized places and they all have a wide variety of brands. There you can find not only local products, but also a bite from several countries, where at least most of expats can feel a little like home. From time to time, there are also themed weekly promotions from a specific country in most of them.

On the other hand, you can also find more traditional supermarkets all over the country, which includes Delhaize (www.delhaize.lu), Alima (www.alima.lu) and the discount supermarkets Aldi (http://fr.aldi.lu/) and Lidl (www.lidl.lu). Others could also be found, as well as small neighborhood grocery stores.

Main shopping centers and large hypermarkets are usually best friends and the Grand-Duchy is not an exception. Around Luxembourg City you can find three major shopping centers:

– Auchan Centre Commercial
Address: 5, r. Alphonse Weicker,
Website: http://www.auchan.lu
Hypermarket: Auchan

– La Belle Etoile Shopping Center
Address: Route d’Arlon, L-8050 Bertrange
Hypermarket: Cactus
Website: http://www.belle-etoile.lu

– City Concorde
Address: 80, Route de Longwy, L-8060 Bertrange
Hypermarket: Cora
Website: http://www.concorde.lu/

All over the Grand-Duchy you are able to find shopping centers, and most of them have a supermarket as well. Just to mention a few:

– Belvalplaza Shopping Center (http://www.belvalshopping.lu/)
Address: Avenue du Rock’N’Roll, L-4631 Esch-sur-Alzette
Supermarket: Delhaize

– Cactus Shopping Centers (www.cactus.lu)
Various locations: Bascharage, Howald, Ingeldorf, Mersch, Rédange, Remich and Windhof
Supermarket: Cactus

– Knauf Shopping Center – Huldange (http://www.knauf-center.lu/)
Address: 3, op d’Schmett, L-9964 Huldange
Supermarket: Delhaize

– Knauf Shopping Center – Pommerloch (http://www.knauf-center.lu/)
Address: 19, route de Bastogne, L-9638 Pommerloch
Supermarket: Delhaize

– Langwies 1+2 Shopping Centers (http://www.langwies.lu)
Address: Rue Hiehl, L-6131 Junglinster
Supermarket: Delhaize

– Shopping-Center Massen (www.massen.lu)
Address: 24, Op der Haart, L-9999 Wemperhardt
Supermarket: Massen

– Topaze Shopping Center (www.topaze.lu)
Address: route de Colmar-Berg, L-7525 Mersch
Supermarket: Match

– Walfer Shopping Center (http://www.walfer-shopping-center.lu)
Address: 2, rue des Romains, L-7264 Walferdange
Supermarket: Delhaize

You should be aware that opening times in Luxembourg are usually between 8a.m. and 8p.m. from Monday to Thursday with one more hour on Fridays and Saturdays. Also, most of the shopping points are closed in Sundays, with a few exceptions all over the Grand-Duchy. You are able to find some supermarkets opening at Sunday mornings, as well as some others that only occasionally are opened on Sundays. You should always check on their website first.

Specialized supermarkets:

With so many different nationalities in Luxembourg, you should not be surprised to be able to find almost everything for even the finest taste. So, if you are looking for something special, or if you are going on a specific diet, you should try and visit some of the following stores or supermarkets:

Asia Market (http://www.asiamarket.lu/en)
A supermarket specialized in Asian products, including fresh fruits and vegetables.
Address: 5 rue du Fort Elisabeth, L-1463 Luxembourg.

Au Gourmet Grec (http://www.augourmetgrec.com/)
This unique grocery store offers a complete range of food products, wines and spirits, as well as Greek cosmetics and oil olive from Greece.
Address: 87 Rue de Bonnevoie , L-1260 Luxembourg

BIO Lux (www.bio-lux.lu)
A really nice store where you can find a wide range of biological food, fresh vegetables and fruits, cheeses, milk, food complements, wines, breads and gluten-free products.
Address: 234, route d’Arlon, L-8010 Strassen

Enoteca Italiana (http://www.enotecaitaliana.lu/index.php)
A unique Italian specialized store with a great selection of wines and a wide range of Italian delicacies.
Address: 11, rue Jean-Pierre Bicheler, L-3897 Foetz

La Rioja (http://www.larioja.lu/)
This store is specialized in Spanish products, from wines, to cheese, oil and other quality products.
Address: 95 avenue Guillaume, L-1651 Luxembourg

Little Britain (http://www.littlebritain.lu/)
For lovers of UK or US products, this store sells a wide range of grocery products, as well as magazines and other products. Address: 1c route d’Arlon, L-8310 Capellen.

Naturata (www.naturata.lu)
This group has already seven Naturata supermarkets in the country (Rollingergrund, Munsbach, Erpeldange, Hupperdange, Dudelange, Foetz and Merl). It has also the possibility of shopping online.

Polskie (http://www.facebook.com/PolskieSpecjaly)
An itinerant kind of delicatessen store where you can find unique polish products. The locations are announced on its facebook page.

Primavera (www.primavera.lu)
There is also Primavera supermarkets where you can find almost all Portuguese delicacies. Address: Galerie Kons, Gare, L-1616 Luxembourg

ScanShop (http://scanshop.lu/)
Scandinavian and Nordic expats can find a special treat in this store with a wide variety of products from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Address: 615 rue de Neudorf, L-2220 Luxembourg.

Store Tandoori (www.store.tandoori.lu)
For lovers of Indian, Pakistani or Nepalese cuisine, this store should be a reference. With an enormous variety of products, you will surely find almost all ingredients of your choice. You can also shop online.
Address: 225, Route de Beggen, L-1221 Luxembourg

ThymCitron (http://www.thymcitron.com/)
This lovely store is specialized in fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a selection of other quality products, such as cheese, wine or jam. You can also shop online.
Address: 50, rue de Strasbourg, L-2562 Luxembourg

Vicente & Fils (http://vinosvicente.lu/)
A place where you can find spanish specialties, from quality wines, ham, cheese or olive oil.
Address: 70, rue de l’Ecole, L- 8353 Garnich

Farmer’s markets:
If you are a lover of fresh products you should definitely try every once and a while a trip to one of the farmer’s markets in Luxembourg. It’s refreshing to see and smell all the colorful stands.

Weekly markets:
(source: National Tourist Board Official Site http://www.visitluxembourg.com)

Tuesday:
Esch-sur-Alzette (Place de l’Hôtel de Ville), 07:00-13:30
Pétange (Place de l’Hôtel de Ville), 14:00-19:00
Diekirch (Rue du Marché, Place Bech & Rue du Curé), 08:00-12:00

Wednesday:
Luxembourg (Place Guillaume II & place de Paris), 07:00-14:00
Luxembourg-Bonnevoie (Place Léon XIII), 07:00-13:30

Thursday:
Differdange (Place du Marché), 14:30-18:30
Dudelange (Place Communale), 07:00-13:30

Friday:
Esch-sur-Alzette (Place de l’Hôtel de Ville), 07:00-13:30
Ettelbruck (Pedestrian Zone), 07:00-13:30

Saturday:
Luxembourg (Place Guillaume II & Place de Paris), 07:00-14:00

Except on holidays.

Monthly markets:
(source: National Tourist Board Official Site http://www.visitluxembourg.com)

Monday:
Grevenmacher, 1st Monday of the month 08:00-12:00
Mersch (Place du Marché), 2nd Monday of the month 09:00-14:00
Schifflange (Place de l’Hôtel de Ville), 2nd Monday of the month 08:00-12:00
Remich, 3rd Monday of the month 08:00-12:00
Hosingen, 4th Monday of the month
Steinfort, last Monday of the month

Tuesday:
Ettelbruck, 1st Tuesday of the month
Differdange, 2nd Tuesday of the month (March-October)
Diekirch (Place Guillaume “Kluuster”), 3rd Tuesday of the month 08:00-12:00
Esch-sur-Alzette, last Tuesday of the month

Wednesday:
Pétange (Place J.F. Kennedy), 1st Wednesday of the month 08:00-13:00
Echternach, 2nd Wednesday of the month
Wasserbillig, 3rd Wednesday of the month
Rédange-sur-Attert, last Wednesday of the month

Thursday:
Dudelange (Place de l’Hôtel de Ville), 1st Thursday of the month 7:30-12:30
Bettembourg, 2nd Thursday of the month 08:00
Clervaux, 3rd Thursday of the month 10:00-18:00
Wiltz (Place Communale), 4th Thursday of the month 08:30-12:00

Friday:
Mamer (Place de l’Indépendance), 1st & 3rd Friday of the month 16:00-19:00
Walferdange (Place de la Mairie), 1st Friday of the month 8:00
Strassen (Parking Centre Culturel Paul Barblé), 2nd & 4th Friday of the month 16:00-19:00
Vianden, 2nd Friday of the month

Saturday:
Mondorf-les-Bains, 1st Saturday of the month
Heinerscheid (“Ourdallermaart”, Cornelyshaff), last Saturday of the month 10:00-16:00 (March-October)
Junglinster (Centre Culturel “Am Duerf “), last Saturday of the month 09:00-13:00

Sunday:
Luxembourg-Limpertsberg (“Glacismaart”, Glacis), 3rd Sunday of the month 10:00-17:00 (March-July & September-November)

Except on holidays.

Online Shopping:

Cactus@Home (http://www.cactusathome.lu/) and Luxcaddy (www.luxcaddy.lu) offer you a home delivery service. In each one you do all your grocery shopping online and they will delivery your items at your home, within a pre-defined delivery cost.

At Auchan drive (http://www.auchandrive.lu/) you would be able to do your shopping online and then schedule the pick up at one of the Auchan Drive warehouses (Munsbach or Cloche D’Or – Gasperich). It’s free of charges and you can actually shop every day of the week, including Sundays.

At Delhaize Direct (www.delhaizedirect.lu) you have a similar rule: you are able to do your shopping online and then you have to choose your closest shop to pick up your items.

Americana (www.americana.lu) provides you american and mexican goods and deliver them to your home for 5€. You can also collect your items at their warehouse in Contern.

At Biobus (www.biobus.de) you are able to find a good variety of organic food, from meat to fruit and veggies.

Bofrost (www.bofrost.com) provides you with the ability to buy frozen products, from fruit and veggies to ready-to-eat meals. Delivery is free of charges.

Besides these options, you have also some delivery services from the specialized stores as mentioned before.

Practical tips:

– In most of traditional supermarkets you will need a €0.50 or a €1.00 coin to use a shopping cart. It will be returned to you once you return the cart. If you are out of coins and you are in one of the large hypermarkets, you can also ask for a free token that will work in place of a coin.

– Always carry several reusable shopping bags, otherwise you will need to buy some from the cashier to carry your groceries.

– Some of the large supermarkets have childcare facilities with an indoor play area and supervision.

Saving tips:

– Planning is always the key, not only to keep into your budget but also to avoid missing ingredients all the time. Success tools include: grocery shopping list, price reference book and grocery shop aisle map.

– Buy in bulk every time there are really good deals. Remember you should always use your price reference book to check the usual unit price and do the math. Sometimes, promotions are not necessarily a good deal. Also, if the deal is on perishable products and you won’t use it immediately, you should consider not buying it or freezing it once you arrive home.

– With a bigger power to negotiate large quantities, it is common to find better deals in Hypermarkets, especially when buying in bulk. But if you are a regular on local farmer’s markets, you should also find good deals once the producers get to know you as a loyal client.

– Most of the big supermarkets have newsletters and fidelity cards. You should really take an advantage of having them, since you will then be eligible to special deals and rewards