On Svalbard there is no VAT and taxes are extremely low. This makes just about everything cheaper than in the rest of Scandinavia. If you order something from mainland Norway or abroad you should specify the lack of VAT.
General shopping
General shopping is best in Svalbardbutikken (7). In this store you will find everything you don't want and also all the stuff you need. There are at least 6 sections with everything from food to perfume, clothes, toys, household products, electronics and also Nordpolet, the liquor shop. Fresh food is very expensive because of the high freight costs. "Un-healthy" things are wonderfully cheap because the lack of taxes. Cigarettes and spirits are especially cheap compared to mainland Norway. If you join the cooperative you will have 5 % price reduction. Ask at the register, you will have to fill out a form and pay 300 NOK as a deposit. People do a lot more than shopping in Svalbardbutikken; it is a good place to meet people and have a chat.
10 meters from Svalbardbutikken is Lompensenteret (8). Here you'll find the library, a cafe, a fast food bar as well as different shops and a hairdresser.
Shopping translator
| Melk | = Milk |
| Brød | = Bread |
| Knackebrød | = Crisp bread |
| (Hvete-)Mel | = (Wheat-) Flour |
| Ost | = Cheese |
| Kurv | = Sausage |
| Skinke | = Ham |
| Pepperoni | = Hot and spicy salami |
| Brunost | = Norwegian brown cheese made from goat milk. It tastes strange, but good. |
| Lutefisk | = Traditional Norwegian fish soaked in lye. KEEP AWAY! |
| Finnbiff | = Reindeer in bags. Easier than shooting one ourself, but more expensive |
| Øl | = Beer |
| Vin | = Wine |
Opening hours vary from store to store. The post office and bank generally close around 16:00. Svalbardbutikken is open until 20:00 on week-days, shorter in the weekends. The kiosk at Huset and the grocery section in Svalbardbutikken are also open at Sundays. All opening hours are announced monthly in Svalbardposten. Isbjørnbutikken (next to Arctica), a small kiosk-like shop with a video- and DVD rental is normally open until 22:00.
Shopping outdoor equipment
Many students buy outdoor clothes, skis, shoes, etc. while they are studying on Svalbard. The local shops carry mostly high quality equipment, and therefore the prices are quite high, even without VAT. It is popular to send large orders to sport equipment shops in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, and the UK. This is cheaper if you know exactly what you want. However there are several very good possibilities to buy outdoor equipment in Longyearbyen:
Arctica (12) Sometimes referred to as 'høyprisutstyr'. Large brown building. High quality, OK assortment, high prices. There is also a section with daily clothes.
Sports Centeret (8) Mostly in-door sporting equipment. Gives 20% student discount. Students often go ther to get ski packets at a better discount. Separate shoe section.
Paulsen Sport & Fritid in Lompensenteret (8) Small sports shop mainly with clothes, and some shoes.
Ing. G. Paulsen (11) Large building along the Gruve 7 road. Here you can buy everything large as computers, scooters, rifles, and other machines. You can also buy facemasks, some clothes and scooter suits (What do you want a scooter suit for? - you rent one from UNIS).Talking about scooters, the other scootershop, Arctic Sport Snøscooterutleie (37) is just around the comer.
Shopping maps and books
There is no proper book store in town. So bring your books, or order them via the internet. Maps can be bought in Svalbardbutikken (7) and Svalbard Museum (31) in the UNIS building.
Most other things
You will find in Svalbardbutikken and Lompensenteret. There is a pharmacy in Lompensentret (8). If you need to repair clothes try Rabis Bua (10), and if you need souvenirs for the family go to Skinnboden (9), Rebbeka's gave og suvenir or another shop in Lompensenteret (8) In Lompensenteret there is also a body shop, a solarium and a Thai massage shop.
