Visit Kristiansand - Shopping in Kristiansand Norway
There is a very large shopping centre in Kristiansand called Sørlandsparken. It is a large area of stores ranging from car parts to fashion, shoes and just about anything else you need to buy. It is getting bigger and bigger every year. There are buses from the centre of town to Sorlandsparken and these go along the E18. They have recently finished building a new retail park in Sørlandsparken with XXL (very large sports store), Biltema, Elkjop, Burger King, Jula, ICA Maxi, kids toy store and a few other store.
Here is a video on how to get to Sorlandparken from the city on the E18.
There is also many stores in the centre of town. To name a few there are H&M, book stores, many clothing stores, bike stores, hairdressers, massage therapists - just about everything. Most of these are located in the main street which is closed off to traffic.
Here is a short video of Markensgata in Kristiansand during the Spring during a public holiday (that is why there are no people in the street!).
Kvadraturen in Kristiansand
Kvadraturen is the name of the area that is the centre of the city of Kristiansand. Kvadraturen is a great place to have a coffee and then a spot of shopping, but it can be difficult to get a carpark there and the ticket inspectors are everywhere! You need to be careful when parking in the Kristiansand city centre because it can be quite confusing. I (The author of this website) have been fined on 2 occasions when I thought I was allowed to park there.I was also with 3 locals who also thought it was ok. Neverless, there was a 500kr fine on the window when we returned to the car. So BE CAREFUL.
This is a picture of the Sandens Shopping Centre in the centre of Kristiansand. It has recently opened and has a variety of different stores.
Alcohol
Beer can be purchased at supermarkets before 8pm Monday to Friday and before 6pm on Saturday. You cannot buy any alcohol on a Sunday.
If you want to buy wine and spirits in Kristiansand, then you need to go to the Government owned Vinmonopol. There are 2 in the centre of Kristiansand and one in Vennesla.
You are better off bringing alcohol into Norway duty free from the plane or ferry as it is very expensive to buy in Norway.
Vinmonopolet Lillemarkens
Gyldenløves gate 1, 4611 Kristiansand - 04560
Tips on cheap shopping in Kristiansand Norway -
Cheap Car Parts in Kristiansand
You cannot find a cheaper car parts store in Europe than Biltema! Their website is www.biltema.no.
It is very handy if you have a problem with your car while you are in Norway as they have a massive selection of parts for all different cards. They also sell tools and equipment if you are fixing up a house or something. The staff also speak English.
Cheap Electrical Goods in Kristiansand
Elkjop is probably the cheapest electronics store in Kristiansand. It is also near Biltema. They sell MP3 players, TVs, laptops and just about everything electronic. www.elkjop.no
Kristiansand Ikea
There will be an Ikea opening up in Kristiansand in 2010. It was supposed to open this year, but it was postponed. Ikea also needed a very large 'lot' of land to be able to open a successful store, but the Kristiansand City Council did not allow them to have the space they needed because it is against their rules to have a store so large.
A good thing is that the Aust Agder county (which does not have this rule) is very close to Sorlandsparken, so they are able to build the store just down the road as large as they like. So it will be located next to the horse racing track.
There are a lot of people from Kristiansand that regularly drive to Ikea Stavanger, so we are very excited about the new store. We will give you more information as it comes to hand.
Kristiansand Clothing Stores
H&M is an obvious choice for cheap clothing. There is a store in the centre of town and also one at Sorlandsparken. There is also another little store next to Toys r Us in Sorlandsparken. For more expensive clothes with brand names (Diesel etc) there is Carlings in the city centre and at Sorlandsparken.
Toy Stores
Shopping for kids in Kristiansand is quite easy. We have the large Toys R Use store in Kristiansand Sorlandsparken - +47 38 10 26 50 which also has a kids playing area and there are others kids clothing stores in the Sorlandssenter.
The city also has a H&M kids store in the markensgata (main shopping strip).
If you are shopping for babies in Kristiansand, there is a large store next to Toys R Us. They sell prams, beds and everything else you need.
Map
Here is a map of Sørlandsparken and its position relative to the Kristiansand city centre. On the map you will see Biltema, Elkjop and Sorlandsparken itself. You can zoom in on the map and click on the icons to get more information.
Supermarkets
There are many different supermarkets in Kristiansand. Food prices are expensive (as far as Europe goes) but you can find good deals here and there.
This is a list (but may miss a few) -
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Maxi ICA - Sørlandsparken - very large supermarket in the new retail park in Sorlandparken.
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Rema1000 - they have a large store at Sorlandsparken and various places in Kristiansand
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Meny - this store is quite expensive, but the hot food selection is great for a lunch time snack. (They also have a store at Sorlandsparken)
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Prix and Coop - these are very good food stores. The prices are some of the cheapest. (as above)
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Ultra - new store at Sorlandsparken next to Obs. Good selection of warm food.
