While high prices mean Reykjavík isn’t really thought of as a shopper’s paradise, there are still plenty of great local products you can only get here. Whether you’re hunting for a piece of Icelandic design, searching for hard-to-find vinyl by an Icelandic artist, stocking the fridge of your Airbnb, or hunting down the perfect hand-knitted lopapeysa, this guide will get you on the right track. Most of the winners are located in downtown Reykjavík, but a few are scattered throughout the Greater Reykjavík area, giving you a good excuse to get out of the city centre hubbub and do some exploring. Happy shopping!
Best Secondhand Shop
Fatamarkaðurinn
Laugavegur 126
Fatamarkaðurinn is slightly less curated than its younger sister Spúútnik, the mecca of second-hand-obsessed kids. However, this means you don’t only find the carefully picked trendy items in here, but a little bit of everything, and for less money. There are Icelandic sweaters in need of love, worn-in retro shoes, cosy knits, 80s dresses, fur coats, sheer blouses, and everything else that can comprise the daily uniform of a Reykjavík youngster.
Runner-Up:
Fatamarkaður Jörmundar
Laugavegur 25
Located in the basement of a downtown building, this place is mostly oriented to men, with an ever present quirky, mustachioed store-owner continually sorting through innumerable suits and shoes. It’s not unusual to suddenly pull a perfectly fitting Ralph Lauren shirt: you only have to be willing to look, and a treasure is just round the corner.
Runner-Up:
Góði Hirðirinn
Fellsmúli 28
This Aladdin’s cave of used products is a mayhem of people and mismatched furniture. It’s the perfect place to look for a bargain sofa, cut-price kitchenware or cheap electronic appliances. The objects are sometimes a bit raggedy—and you have to pick them up immediately—but the prices are fair and the profits go to charity.
Previous Winners
2017: Spúútnik
2016: Kolaportið
2015: Hertex
2014: Spúútnik
2013: Spúútnik
Other Shopping Categories
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