Shopping in French supermarkets - our experiences

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Writer: Helena Bergström

What is it like to shop in French supermarkets? One thing we really enjoy when travelling is browsing in grocery stores. When travelling by motorhome, we cook most of our meals in the car, which means we are constantly buying groceries. Here we share our experiences of food shopping in France.

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What is it like to shop in French supermarkets?

So, what is it like to shop in French supermarkets? In our opinion, it's a very pleasant experience! There is a wide range of fresh products and the quality is often high. In addition, you can alternate visits to speciality shops and shopping at markets.

Which French supermarkets are available?

There are of course many different food shops in France. Here are some of the bigger chains you'll find when travelling around:

• Aldi
• Carrefour
• E.Leclerc
• Intermarché
• Lidl
• Super U

In addition, there are even more chains and small shops. One thing we like is that almost every village has a boulangerie (bakery), a charcuterie and a patisserie (pastry shop). In many places you can also find food markets, sometimes open on certain days and times of the week.

What are the prices in French supermarkets?

We find that prices in French grocery stores are often relatively good, and that it is cheaper to buy food here than in Sweden. Prices are often good in the big supermarkets and sometimes even cheaper in the local markets. However, small food shops in tourist areas and delicatessens can be more expensive.

What can you buy in French supermarkets?

So, what can you buy in French supermarkets? Well, in the larger stores you can usually find most things and more. To a certain extent, the range is similar to the Swedish one, but there are also a lot of differences. Above all, there are plenty of delicacies and high-quality products!

Meat and charcuterie

The meat counters are often well stocked with beef, pork and not least poultry. The range of poultry is much greater than in Sweden and there are usually long counters with duck, turkey and different kinds of chickens - often with the head left on so you can clearly see what you are buying.

Sometimes you can also buy other types of poultry, such as quail. There are also many products made from poultry, such as sausages, cold cuts and pâtés.

In general, there are plenty of good pates, pâtés, hams and sausages. The smoked sausages often hang in long rows ...

At the fish counter

Many shops have fantastic fish counters, where seafood is beautifully displayed on beds of ice.

The main difference from Sweden is that there is a larger and more varied range of different shells and mussels. It is also more common to find raw, uncooked, prawns and of course there are some exciting fish that you are not used to.

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Pies and baked dishes ...

Refrigerated counters are often full of pies and different kinds of baked dishes. The contents can be meat, ham, fish, cheese or something completely different ...

Cheese counters

The cheese counters in French supermarkets, oh my! There are mostly amazing cheeses in long rows.

A slightly special cheese that is usually found is the orange-coloured Mimolette cheese, which can be both more and less aged.

If you pop into speciality delicatessens (or maybe even a cheese dairy!), you can find an even more interesting range.

Dairy products and desserts

There is a wide variety of dairy products in French supermarkets, and the biggest challenge can be understanding what is what, unless you are good at French. In addition, there are often long lines of chilled desserts, in the form of different types of mousse and puddings.

Fruit and vegetables

There are often nice fruit and vegetable counters in the shops, and we find that the quality and flavour of the vegetables is often very good.

Bread and pastries

The French love bread, there's no doubt about it! The big seller is the baguette and these come in long rows, in many different flavours. Sometimes the baguettes are packaged in large packs so you buy a whole bunch at once, at a good price.

In addition to baguettes, there are of course croissants, other fresh bread and various fresh pastries. When it comes to pre-packaged bread on the shelves, the range is more limited, and sometimes it is mostly sliced moulded bread that is available.

If you stay at a campsite, you can almost always order fresh bread or croissants to be picked up the next morning.

Canned and tinned food

What stands out among the tinned food in French supermarkets is the huge range of duck liver, foie gras, confit de canard and similar products.

You can also find classic French dishes such as coq au vin in a tin can.

It is also worth noting that the rows of tinned fish are incredibly long. Here you will find mainly sardines, but also mackerel and other fish.

The jars are often colourful and in some shops you can find extremely beautiful jars with nice designs. We have heard that some people even collect these jars, which also cost more.

Spices, sauces and flavourings

There are also plenty of exciting jars of spices, sauces and other flavourings. In Dijon we were in a mustard factory (mustard shop) where you could browse through different varieties of Dijon mustard ...

Many varieties of mustard, sauces, tapenade and other products are also available in regular shops, as well as jams and marmalades.

Of course, you can also find different varieties of truffles and truffle oil.

Drinks in French supermarkets

When it comes to drinks, the big difference from Sweden is of course that you can buy beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks in French food shops. In particular, the range of wines is large, and you can often find wines from both the region where you are travelling and other regions.

What is your experience of shopping in French supermarkets?

What is your experience of shopping in French supermarkets? Do you find it fun to browse in supermarkets when travelling?

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