Shopping is not really an activity in German-speaking countries rather more a need. Typical stores in a small town include a small supermarket, a post office, a bank, a pharmacy and a bakery. Tiny stores that sell magazines, a Kiosk, are found in neighborhoods and train stations. These places sell candy, chocolates and ice cream, and are sometimes a favorite place for kids to hang out. In a larger town there will also be a butcher, an ice cream parlor (Eiscafe), a travel agent, a tea and gift shop and a restaurant and/or a pizzeria.

Germans buy their bread and milk every one to three days, but the whole family goes once a week to a big supermarket on the outskirts of a town for a huge shopping trip. You can see the fathers carrying heavy crates of mineral water, juices and beer or people in the cities having them delivered.

Many Austrians, Swiss and Germans buy their bread (Brot) every day from the local Backerei (bakery). They may stop and have a pastry or dessert with Kaffee mit Sahne (coffee with whipped cream) at a Konditorei or Café. There are many kinds of pastries, all delicious, and even if you don't know their names you can just point at the one you want in the glass display case. You can also get ice cream concoctions in almost any café at any time of the day. Sachertorte, a chocolate cake, is always a favorite in Austria.

There are open-air markets that you will find in every town on Saturdays. Here you will find everything from food to flowers, pottery, pans and much more. On Sunday there are flea markets in almost every larger city, and these are set up in a park, or on a street or boulevard. Sometimes the market will stretch for many blocks. There you will find new and used products, antiques, furniture and trinkets of all kinds.

In Germany, department stores are like the ones in the United States. The largest and best-known one is in Berlin and is called KaDeWe. On the sixth floor of this huge store there is an amazing display of gourmet foods and in fact you will find large grocery sections and cafeterias in all the department stores in Germany. All towns have their own large department stores and these are a common place to visit on Saturdays. All stores in Germany are closed on Sundays except for an emergency pharmacy and a few gas stations. You will see most families in the huge parks or doing other outdoor activities but not shopping!