Sooner or later, every single one of us will have to do grocery shopping at some point. While this may sound super lame, I absolutely love going to grocery shops. Something about seeing the stalls of various goods and being stimulated by the sounds and colors makes the whole experience rather enjoyable.
Due to my personal interest in exploration and grocery stores in general, I’ve gathered enough intel on each to be able to summarize each of their pros and cons. Ranking supermarket chains will be impossible and may raise a lot of controversy because I personally know many people who have very strong bonds to their favorite chain of choice.
Selver
Selver is on the more expensive side of supermarkets. However, Selver gets some extra points for having the more tasty and affordable bakery section. Selver also is one of the few supermarkets to have pre-packaged sushi and quite decent ready-made lasagna. It is not my supermarket of choice, however when they do have deals for certain items, they become way cheaper than anywhere else. You will need a Partnerkaart (Partner Card) for this. You can obtain a partnerkaart either in a large Selver or in Kaubamaja.
Lidl
Although farther away from the city center, Lidl is definitely one of the more affordable supermarkets. It has a wide selection of products, but beware: many of them will be unfamiliar brands! You can buy anything, from frozen pizzas to badminton sets here. It is definitely the place to go for a large shopping spree, since many things come in larger packaging. You can also download the Lidl app and get better deals for some products. Lidl is well loved and appreciated for many reasons.
Maxima
Just like Lidl, it is one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) grocery stores. Maxima has saved my mental, physical and bank account health many many times. Maxima is where I have met 3 of my very close friends. Maxima is the store where I discovered that there is an Estonian clone of an Azerbaijani yogurt, “qatıq”, and that I no longer had to culture my own yogurt every week. Long story short, Maxima is cheap, amazing, with a wide selection of products, and great deals. With a Maxima Aitäh card, you can now get cheap groceries for even cheaper! Be prepared with a 1 euro penny in your pocket before you enter though, since the shopping carts require you to insert one inside. I unfortunately do not frequent Maxima though, due to my current location, so if you have a Maxima near your place of residence, consider yourself a blessed individual.
Coop
One of the most abundant supermarket chains around Estonia. You can find tiny ones and large ones. In my personal opinion, Coop is kind of overpriced. It’s just very mediocre. Like a subpar professor who gives you a second chance, Coop annoys you yet redeems itself with its availability, and late closing hours. Coop has by far the widest selection of international products I have ever seen, making it the most likely place for you to find a taste of home. Coop also has very nice coffee! With a Coop Kliendikaart (Client Card), you can get some good deals from specific items. My first ever shopping spree was at Coop, and that is an impactful bond between customer and supermarket.
Kaubamaja
Known as the red bottoms of all supermarkets, Kaubamaja is the fancy supermarket. If you are looking for niche products, unusual foods, dainty cakes and overpriced everything, Kaubamaja is the place to go. I find it funny how their pizzas are pricier than Rimis, and yet taste worse… Kaubamaja is the perfect place to grab some ready lunch or shop for marinated seafood. It has by far the widest and most international selection of sweets, spices, teas and other. Despite being expensive, most produce in Kaubamaja is fresh and tasty. Located only in Kaubamaja shopping center, I feel like it has its own charm and place in society. However, the fact that I have only ever left that place with 1-2 niche, specific items says a lot. The Partnerkaart can also be used to get some deals here, so that’s a huge plus
I hope this overview was insightful, helpful, and most importantly, not too controversial. After all, these are all based on my personal experiences. Happy shopping!
