I just love Scandinavian design and fashion, so I regularly travel to the Swedish capital with a half-empty suitcase. In particular, I focus on chains like MQ and Gina Tricot, which are not available in Belgium. That Lindex’s maxi dress from last summer is still on my mind. I regret that I didn’t buy it. Because I often get questions on shopping in Stockholm, I prepared this extensive shopping guide for Stockholm.

Where to shop in Stockholm

Stockholm literally counts thousands of shops! So you can shop pretty much everywhere in Stockholm, but I’d like to point you to the best shopping streets. Shopping in Stockholm also often means shopping in pedestrian streets (except at Kungsholmen, Vasastan and in most parts of Södermalm) where no cars are allowed.

Drottninggatan

The queen of the shopping streets in Stockholm! Here you will find the best-known chains like H&M, Monki, Zara, Gina Tricot, Lindex, Indian, Salt, Cubus,…
The Åhléns department store is also on this street (on the crossing with Hamngatan, near Sergels Torg). In Åhléns I buy a lot of makeup each time I visit Stockholm (usually Bare Minerals or a similar natural Swedish brand like Estelle & Thild). In this supermarket you can find just about anything that you are looking for. Also good to know: under Åhléns Stockholm City you will find a branch of the ICA supermarket chain (open until 23h!).

Bibliotekstan

Around Biblioteksgatan you will find the high-end shops like Louis Vuitton, Prada, the Swedish Filippa K and Tiger of Sweden. Also the more expensive sister of H&M, &Other Stories, has a flag ship store here. Mäster Samuelsgatan also has nice boutiques for you. Not to be missed if you like a minimalist style is the Swedish brand Whyred.

Bibliotekstan is also called the fashion district of Stockholm. Apart from Biblioteksgatan, the side streets Jakobsbergsgatan, Mäster Samuelsgatan and Smålandsgatan also belong to the district, as well as adjacent streets Norrlandsgatan and Birger Jarlsgatan and Norrmalmstorg square. Jakobsbergsgatan is the street for the up-and-coming labels such as Nudie Jeans and Sandqvist.

Old Town

In addition to the many tourist shops in Gamla Stan, you will also find a lot of design and craft shops. Krabat and Kaleidoscope are two nice shops where you can definitely find wooden toys or a nice gift for the kids. Västerlånggatan and Österlånggatan are the most popular streets, but you can also discover a lot of gems in the side streets.

Södermalm – Sofo

Södermalm, also known as the hottest district of Europe, is famous for its vintage and design shops. Streets with many shops are Götgatan and Bondegatan. The neighbourhood Sofo (south of Folkungagatan) also has a lot of hip shops. Popular shops are Fire Stations, Grandpa, Twist & Tango, Weekday, L:A Bruket, Stutterheim, …

Kungsholmen

Kungsholmen is not immediately known for their shopping offer but there is also something for everyone on this island. The big chains are located near Fridhemsplan, in Västermalmsgallerian. Here too, you will find a department of Åhléns. Walk through the narrower side streets and you will find a location of the popular Grandpa and Granit. At Kungsholmen I also found a shop that only sells black and white items.

Department Stores

MOOD Stockholm

This small shopping mall is located between Drottninggatan and Bibliotekstan. You will find a lot of Scandinavian brands like Samsøe & Samsøe, STHLM BLVD,… . There is a lot to experience at MOOD and you can even go and shop with a personal shopper!

NK

Nordiska Kompaniet or in short NK, is the Harrods of Stockholm. This shopping mall has 4 floors with mainly luxury goods ranging from clothing and shoes (especially Scandinavian designers but also many international brands), cosmetics, design, …
Although you probably would not recognize them, many Swedish celebrities are also shopping here. NK even has the Swedish royal family among its regular customers. Nordiska Kompaniet opened in 1915. The windows are always a blast for the eye. Around Christmas, it’s a trick to catch a glimpse of the thematized windows! Even when the Eurovision Song Contest  was organized in Stockholm, the showrooms of NK were in Eurovision theme and very popular!

More shopping malls

Also Gallerian, Stockholm’s first shopping mall, and Sturegallerian are in the center and have a spacious offer of shops, often complemented by catering and other services.

Mall of Scandinavia

Close to Solna, 7 minutes from central Stockholm, shoppers can get their hearts full at Mall of Scandinavia . The shops in this shopping center are open every day from 10 am to 9 pm, also on Sundays. For Christmas shopping, they will even stay open until 22:00!

Ikea

Of course, Ikea should not be missing in this list! Every hour there is a free bus from Vasagatan (not far from Centralen, Stockholm Central Station) which brings you to Ikea Kungens Kurva in 20 minutes. On the hour the bus travels to Ikea, on the half hour the Ikea bus returns to the center. Kungens Kurva is the largest Ikea in the world and worth a visit.

Outlet shopping

Stockholm Quality Outlet

Stockholm Quality Outlet is a giant shopping mall with a comprehensive offer. This shopping center is half an hour (metro + bus) from Stockholm Central Station. Go to SL.se and enter ‘Barkarby Handelsplats’ for the current travel information. On working days the mall is open from 10 am to 8 pm, on weekends from 10 am to 6 pm.

Acne Archive

Looking for an Acne jeans for a low price? In Acne Archive in Torsgatan 53 (Vasastan) you will find the collections of previous years.

Opening hours of the stores in Stockholm

Although most supermarkets have quite ample opening hours in Stockholm (some even 6 am to 6 pm), I think the opening hours of eg clothing stores are quite “limited” for a metropolis like Stockholm. Most shops are open from 10 am to 6 pm on weekdays. Some shops until 20h. On Saturday they often close at 17:00.

Open on Sunday?

Even though Stockholm is a big city, it doesn’t mean all shops are open on Sundays. Stores that are open on Sundays often have shorter opening hours, eg 12 am to 4 pm or 11 am to 5 pm. So shopping in Stockholm on Sundays is limited. If you have the option, you might want to choose another day to go shopping.

Closed on midsummer and christmas

Most shops close on midsummer and christmas. Usually both on midsummer eve and christmas eve and the day itself. The shops that are open on the eve of mid summer or Christmas close already at noon. These different opening hours are often listed in advance on the website of the respective shops and shopping centers. Other opening hours may also vary from the regular opening hours.

Sales

If you see the word ‘Rea’ then there are bargains to do. The sales start somewhat earlier than in Belgium. In mid-June I already saw the “rea” signs everywhere. There appears to be no fixed start date for summer sales, as it differs from region to region and product to product, but most of the stores start with the sales the week before or after midsummer. Immediately after Christmas there are sales in Sweden. Furthermore, there are often also mid-season bargains to find.