Shopping in Vienna: A Guide to Supermarkets and Shopping!

This is the last of my guides to living life in Vienna. Hopefully, you’ve been following along and that I’ve been able to help you even a little bit!

In Vienna, shopping (and by that, I mean grocery shopping and shopping for daily necessities) can be a bit of a quest. There aren’t any Targets, Walmarts, or Trader Joes. It’s mostly the major grocery chains, the major drug store chains, and a handful of smaller shops. 

The first thing you need to know is that you can’t just buy anything at every grocery store. Unlike the U.S., where a grocery store will carry a huge selection of household items and several options for each item, in Vienna, the major stores will only carry a certain amount of items, and there are typically only one or two options. The major stores I’m referring to are Spar, Billa, Lidl, and Hofer. 

Spar and Billa are the two big grocery chains. They have the most stores, but they aren’t necessarily the best options. Lidl and Hofer are like Costco-esque grocery stores, in so far that you can buy larger quantities and the prices are typically cheaper, but the quality and brands are more of a hit or miss. Still, Lidl and Hofer have somewhat cult-like status as great budget stores for deals in Europe, so give them a try.

Ok, back to what I was saying. Only the “big” versions of Spar (Interspar) and Billa (Billa Plus) can be compared to an American grocery store. The normal versions you see on the street (Spar, Spar Gourmet, Billa, Billa Corso) will only have a limited selection of items. For a quick trip, it’s not a big deal, but if you want to find a kitchen knife, or a toothpaste brand, you might want to go to a bigger store, typically at a train station or a major intersection.

You’ve also got to know about the hours of most grocery stores. Many of them close relatively early in comparison to the U.S., where we have 24 hour CVS stores and late closing hours. By 8 P.M., the only stores that will remain open are the ones at train stations and the more important “big” stores. On weekends, it can be even more busy, and on Sunday specifically, most stores are required by law to close except for a handful of stores throughout the city. 

That small amount of options means that the only stores that are open are often a completely chaotic mess of long lines and limited space since everybody is shopping at once. 

If you want other pharmaceutical items or household items, your best bet is a DM, Muller, or BIPA. These stores are more like CVS or WalgreensThis is the last of my guides to living life in Vienna. Hopefully, you’ve been following along and that I’ve been able to help you even a little bit!

In Vienna, shopping (and by that, I mean grocery shopping and shopping for daily necessities) can be a bit of a quest. There aren’t any Targets, Walmarts, or Trader Joes. It’s mostly the major grocery chains, the major drug store chains, and a handful of smaller shops. 

The first thing you need to know is that you can’t just buy anything at every grocery store. Unlike the US, where a grocery store will carry a huge selection of household items and several options for each item, in Vienna, the major stores will only carry a certain amount of items, and there are typically only one or two options. The major stores I’m referring to are Spar, Billa, Lidl, and Hofer. 

Spar and Billa are the two big grocery chains. They have the most stores, but they aren’t necessarily the best options. Lidl and Hofer are like Costco-esque grocery stores, in so far that you can buy larger quantities and the prices are typically cheaper, but the quality and brands are more of a hit or miss. Still, Lidl and Hofer have somewhat cult-like status as great budget stores for deals in Europe, so give them a try.

Ok, back to what I was saying. Only the “big” versions of Spar (Interspar) and Billa (Billa Plus) can be compared to an American grocery store. The normal versions you see on the street (Spar, Spar Gourmet, Billa, Billa Corso) will only have a limited selection of items. For a quick trip, it’s not a big deal, but if you want to find a kitchen knife, or a toothpaste brand, you might want to go to a bigger store, typically at a train station or a major intersection.

You’ve also got to know about the hours of most grocery stores. Many of them close relatively early in comparison to the US, where we have 24 hour CVS stores and late closing hours. By 8 PM, the only stores that will remain open are the ones at train stations and the more important “big” stores. On weekends, it can be even more busy, and on Sunday specifically, most stores are required by law to close except for a handful of stores throughout the city. 

That small amount of options means that the only stores that are open are often a completely chaotic mess of long lines and limited space since everybody is shopping at once. 

If you want other pharmaceutical items or household items, your best bet is a DM, Muller, or BIPA. These stores are more like CVS or Walgreens–they have some small snacks, but their main focus is on healthcare and body needs, like makeup, body wash, medicine, and so on. If you want acne care, a specific toothpaste brand, or travel sized body wash, these are your best bets. 

I’m not going to lie, the shopping system in Vienna is a bit odd and a bit frustrating. It can be quite annoying when all you want on a Sunday evening is a pizza and a drink, and the Billa has a line the size of an airport check-in queue. And it can be quite the quest to get a specific cooking utensil or drug brand. I’ve had to travel to 3-4 Billas, Bipas, and Spars to get an item. But it’s also a uniquely European experience and you start to get used to it. And hopefully this guide will help you brace yourself and prepare for the experience of shopping in Vienna.they have some small snacks, but their main focus is on healthcare and body needs, like makeup, body wash, medicine, and so on. If you want acne care, a specific toothpaste brand, or travel sized body wash, these are your best bets.