Winter shopping in Copenhagen

There’s something delightful about shopping on Copenhagen’s snow-dusted cobbled streets in the winter months. It’s when you’ll find the best bargains of the year, particularly in mid-end January, when the seasonal sales take place; it’s also a time of shifting seasons in the city’s fashion boutiques, when colourful window displays start to brighten up the dark streets.

Copenhagen doesn't have a big mall scene: instead, you’ll find individual and independent shops peppering its alleyways and narrow streets. It makes shopping in the city a special experience. While Strøget, Copenhagen’s main shopping street, might be the longest pedestrianised shopping street in the world, we’d recommend visiting some of the city’s smaller, lesser-known streets, including Værnedamsvej, Elmegade, Jægersborggade, Istedgade and Blågårdsgade, to get under the skin of the shopping scene.

If you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to be more sustainable this year, you’re in luck: the city is known for its diverse vintage fashion scene, with jewel-box boutiques selling everything from second hand Chanel to Ganni, and plenty more besides. Along with fashion, the city’s love of design shines through in its shops, with interior design houses selling the perfect items to add a little Scandi style to your home, wherever you live.

Here are a few key shops to look out for: 

Hay House

Hay House is in central Copenhagen and is at the forefront of modern Scandi interior design. It sells fashionable furniture and interior items, many small enough to fit in your hand luggage.

Address: Østergade 61, 2,  1100 Copenhagen

Frama

The Danish design brand Frama is a multidisciplinary brand with an emphasis on natural materials. It encompasses furniture, lifestyle objects, self-care products, and fragrances that encourage mindful living. As an extension of its store located in an old antique pharmacy, Frama also features the popular café Apotek 57. 

Address: Fredericiagade 57, 1310 Copenhagen

Stilleben

Discover sleek kitchenware, graphic design posters, gifts and accessories, from handmade mugs and vanity bags to luxurious robes, at this unique Copenhagen interior shop run by two ceramicists.

Address: Frederiksborggade 22, 1360 Copenhagen

Studio Arhøj

This ceramics studio, founded in Tokyo, is off the main shopping street and sells colourful and playful mugs, vases and decorative pieces. You can watch the ceramicists at work through the window.

Address: Skindergade 7, 1159 Copenhagen

Carl Hansen & Søn

The Iconic family-owned design company Carl Hansen & Søn, represens more than a hundred years of Danish Design. The design brand is specialized in creating outstanding furniture and produces iconic furniture from renowned Danish designers like Hans J. Wegener, Arne Jacobsen, Børge Morgensen, Kaare Klint etc.

Address: Flaskehalsen 2,  1799 Copenhagen

Time’s Up Vintage

One of Copenhagen’s most beloved vintage boutiques, if you’re looking for second hand Chanel, Gucci, Versace, Valentino and other recognised luxury brands, this is the place to come.

Address: Krystalgade 4, 1172 Copenhagen

Tú a Tú

Jægersborggade’s best consignment store sells recent Scandi fashion from Ganni, Birkenstock, Rotate, Cos, Nørgaard, Saks Potts and more. It’s a curated selection with reliable seasonal picks.

Address: Jægersborggade 30, 2200 Copenhagen

OSV

A secondhand shop with pre-owned items from Copenhageners for both men and women. This secondhand shop features the authentic Copenhagen style selling pre-owned items from Copenhageners for both men and women.

Address: Peder Hvitfeldts Stræde 4, 1173 Copenhagen & Møntergade 2, 1116 Copenhagen

TAK - secondhand shop by the Salvation Army

TAK (“thank you” in Danish) are unstaffed charity shops that sell exclusive designer Danish brands such as Ganni and Stine Goya. The shop is a self-service shop, where customers themselves pay for the clothes at the self-checkout registers.

Address: Store Kongensgade 74, 1264 Copenhagen & Gl. Kongevej 85, 1850 Frederiksberg

Chamoi

A curated vintage shop in the middle of Nørrebro for women selling handpicked pieces as well as featuring small Copenhagen up-and-coming design and jewellery brands.

Address: Elmegade 2, 2200 Copenhagen 

Lidkøb

Lidkøb is Copenhagen’s largest secondhand supermarket. Here, locals book a stall and sell clothes, shoes, and interior products that they no longer use for usually small prices, making the place great for bargains.

Address: Strynøgade 7, 2100 Copenhagen

Books & Company

Copenhagen’s independent, international book shop is beloved by Monocle and hailed as one of the best in Northern Europe. Have a coffee, chat with knowledgeable staff and discover a new favourite.

Address: Sofievej 1, 2900 Hellerup

Brøg Litteraturbar

This lovely little bookshop and cafe in the heart of the city, near the University Library, sells a mixture of international and English books and is organised beautifully for browsing.

Address: Fiolstræde 7, 1171 Copenhagen

Shrig Shop

British visual artist David Shrigley has a standalone shop in Vesterbro selling all manner of quirky posters, teapots, pins and postcards, all with his distinctive style and satirical humour. 

Address: Tullinsgade 3, 1618 Copenhagen

Sømods Bolcher

Boiled sweets have been made in this old sweet shop since 1891. It’s a fun place to pick up some coloured candies and watch the master confectioners at work.

Address: Nørregade 36, 1165 København K

Torvehallerne

Copenhagen’s covered market halls are a great place to hide out in colder weather. Browse Danish specialities, eat just-made pastries, and marvel at the weird looking fish on the fishmonger’s slabs.

Address: Frederiksborggade 21, 1362 København

Kihoskh

Besides being a modern and hip grocery store, this corner shop is a local meeting point and a coffee shop. For trendy beer brands and Copenhagen foodie vibes, it doesn’t get any.

Address: Sønder Blvd. 53, København