Shopping in Iceland - outlets, shopping streets and boutiques

Going shopping in Iceland, one must first set oneself a certain goal, so as not to get confused, because this small country has supermarkets, large malls, flea markets, and boutiques - the choice is really vast. “Kringlan Mall” near the center of Reykjavik is the capital's largest shopping center, quite common for a big city, with almost two hundred shops, a cinema, and even a library. For children, there is “Adventure Land” with all sorts of toys, books, a pool with balls, a big castle, and many other things. In this mall, you can find products of both global and local brands.

In Kópavogur, a town near Reykjavik, there is "Smáralind", one of the largest malls in Iceland. Reasonable prices, good cafes and restaurants, a children's amusement park, and a cinema make this mall a great place for leisurely shopping. Here you can buy unique products from Icelandic brands that are not found anywhere else in the world or choose something more familiar in countless stores of internationally renowned brands like Zara, H&M, Levi's, and others.

Tourists looking for some exotic stuff should definitely visit Kolaportið, flea market located in the heart of the capital. The market is open only on weekends from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. It occupies a large industrial building at the very harbor. Simply everything is there: handmade jewelry, second-hand clothing, unusual toys, rare old books, and shark meat. Unique “Gyllti Kötturinn” shop (“Golden Kitty”), where a cat really lives, clothes of the 80s-90s are sold on the ground floor, and a unique boutique of rare clothes is on the second floor. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Food can be bought in "10-11" supermarkets spreading across six cities and working around the clock seven days a week. Food is always fresh and the choice is huge. In general, this is a typical city supermarket. Popular “Hagkaup” Hypermarket sells not only food products but also cosmetics and household appliances. The cheapest option for buying food is “Bonus” with its regular discounts and promotions. Supermarkets of this chain can be found in 15 cities throughout Iceland. Despite low prices, the quality of products is always excellent.

There are many places in Iceland where you can buy memorable souvenirs. A huge number of books, including the ones in English, are sold in "Mál og Menning". The same shop offers music CDs and video games, and on the first floor, there is a cozy cafe. Álafoss store occupying a former factory building of the late 19th century in the suburb of Reykjavik sells wonderful Icelandic sweaters, socks, blankets, elven boots, and other handmade woolen products, as well as knitting kits and instruction books.

Those wishing to bring home something memorable and unique should pay attention to pieces of lava. It's illegal to pick them up yourself while walking at a volcano. However, in souvenir shops, you can buy lava products, often in the form of jewelry. In many grocery stores, you can find fragrant arctic thyme tea, which not only tastes good but also helps fight flu and indigestion. In interior stores, you will surely find unusual designer finds - table lamps, decorative figures, original vases. Finally, only in Iceland, you can buy natural cosmetics from local white volcanic mud cleaning the skin perfectly.

Small shop “JFS Handcraft” in Djupivogur is worthy of the tourists' attention. Its owner, a great artisan, makes his own jewelry and other things from deer antlers and beautiful Icelandic stones at reasonable prices. Hafnarfjordur has Alfagull Souvenir Shop offering products created by Icelandic designers. These are wooden figurines, unique jewelry and quality products made of volcanic lava and soft wool.