Whether you’re staying in Lisbon for a few days, a few weeks, or considering a longer stay, one thing quickly becomes clear: the city doesn’t work quite like the places many English-speaking visitors come from in terms of shopping. The shops that many visitors are used to seeing on almost every corner back in their home countries, such as DM, Boots, Walgreens, CVS, or 7/11, do not exist in Portugal. Convenience stores or big box shops are almost non-existent in the center of Lisbon. This leaves many tourists struggling to find even basic everyday toiletries, household items, or health food that they can easily find in their familiar homelands.
This guide is here to help. Shopping in Lisbon might feel a bit like a scavenger hunt at first. Pharmacies don’t double as mini-marts. Supermarkets aren’t guaranteed to stock basic kitchenware or medical items such as adhesive bandages or hydrogen peroxide. It’s easy for Lisbon newbies to walk right past shops that sell exactly what they need and never realize it.
Let’s break down where to find common (but elusive) everyday items in Lisbon and we will also give a few tips to make the process easier and more affordable. This is the advice that we wish we had when we first moved to Lisbon, and we hope it helps you feel more comfortable in our beautiful capital city.
Everyday Toiletries
If you’re in central Lisbon and suddenly realize you forgot your deodorant, razors, shampoo, or toothpaste, your first instinct might be to pop into a pharmacy. However, in Lisbon, most pharmacies are small and sell high-end skincare, expensive sunscreen, and very limited quantities of toothpaste or shampoo. If they have it, trust us, it’s expensive.
In 2023, Normal, a Boots/DM/Walgreens hybrid from Denmark minus the pharmacy section, opened their first store in central Lisbon and filled a much-needed gap in both affordability and convenience. By the time you finish the circuitous walk through a Normal store, you will likely find what you need and have fun while doing it – at a reasonable price. What makes Normal different is that it’s a standalone store that adds hundreds of new products a week. The simple toiletries that they sell are usually hiding in large supermarket chains in Lisbon – and the largest of these supermarkets are not in the city center, which means that their kitchenware and toiletry sections are often reduced to a single aisle! Normal is a fantastic solution if you’ve been looking for something.
The Well’s chain is another alternative. The basement of the Well’s location on Rua Garrett 53-57 in Baixa-Chiado is our favorite Well’s location to find the biggest selection of toiletry/cosmetics/hand wipes/creams, etc. (though Normal is still our favorite).
There is also a huge section for shampoos, conditioners, and everyday toiletries at El Corte Inglés, which brings us to the next section. Continente on the ground floor at Colombo Shopping Centre (Av. Lusíada) or Auchan at Amoreiras Shopping Plaza (R. Carlos Alberto da Moto Pinta 9) also have sizeable toiletry sections.
El Corte Inglés – Where to Find Almost Everything You Generally Need in One Place (For a Price)
The Spanish chain of El Corte Inglés (Av. António Augusto de Aguiar 31) has exactly one store in Lisbon and it can almost singlehandedly provide almost everything you need across its 13 floors! That’s right – 13 floors! Without El Corté Inglés, Lisbon would be a much less convenient place. It even has a nice movie theater.
If you’re looking for toiletries, simple medical equipment, exotic fruit, and foreign brands of food items, head straight to the supermarket in the basement of El Corte Inglés. There is a separate gourmet deli section, a varied food court, and a pharmacy on the same floor. Just after the pharmacy, you can find an escalator going down, which leads you to four more subterranean floors that many people miss!
Don’t miss these subterranean floors because you will find everything from pet goods, housewares, tools, a post office, stationery, children’s toys, and even a place to get your gifts wrapped during the Christmas season.
The very top floor of El Corte Inglés hosts an array of gourmet restaurants, an oyster bar, and fancy food products including teas, pastas, and spices. The upper floors of El Corte Inglés are a great place to find luxury home goods, kitchen appliances, and a big range of cookware.
The thing to remember about El Corte Inglés is that prices are higher but not unreasonable. Prices are still cheaper for toiletries than you will find at the centrally located small pharmacies.
“Chinese Stores” – Where to Find Almost Everything You Generally Need for a Questionable Quality but a Low Price
When you want to find a miscellaneous tool, gadget, decorative item, or cooking implement in Lisbon, a Chinese shop (loja chinesa) is your best option! What you will buy will undoubtedly be lower quality than El Corte Inglés, but you will also pay much less. Looking for an item in a Chinese shop is kind of like a scavenger hunt and it is never guaranteed that it will have what you need, but the Chinese shop inventory is quite surprising and helpful when you need an item in an emergency. Chinese shops are usually open every day (even on national holidays in Portugal), although they don’t always take cash. Type “Loja Chinesa” into Google and you can find a slew of them scattered around Lisbon!
Supplements and Specialty Health Foods
If you’re looking for vitamins, magnesium, protein powder, or that beloved turmeric-ginger blend you swear keeps your joints from falling apart, head to Celeiro (pronounced suh-LAY-roo). It’s Portugal’s go-to health food chain, with over 40 locations across the country, including several in Lisbon. Google Maps can also help you find your closest Celeiro.
Think of it as Lisbon’s answer to Whole Foods and GNC combined. Celeiro sells supplements, organic dry goods, herbal teas, natural cosmetics, and gluten-free snacks. Some of them, like the one at Colombo Shopping Centre, even have their own cafés built in. Their staff tends to be well-informed, and the store carries many international brands.
Some larger Continente Bom Dia, Auchan, and Pingo Doce supermarkets have “natural” sections, but these are a hit-or-miss. For specialty items like plant-based protein powders or vegan supplements, stick with Celeiro.
The aforementioned Well’s store on Rua Garrett 53-57 also has quite a few supplements on the basement level.
Electric Fans to Survive in the Summer
If you arrive in Lisbon in the summer and your apartment doesn’t have air conditioning, you’ll start looking for a fan faster than you can learn the Portuguese word for hot (it’s calor, by the way). The good news is: fans are common. The bad news? They’re not always cheap or easy to find.
Chinese shops (lojas chinesas) scattered throughout the city often sell fans during the warmer months. These stores stock all kinds of random household goods, but their prices and quality can be unpredictable. Some visitors report paying €40–€80 for a simple pedestal fan.
You can also check the Continente at Colombo Shopping Centre, Worten (Portugal’s go-to electronics and appliances store), or Auchan at Amoreiras Shopping Center (which has its own attached electronics section). IKEA and Leroy Merlin also sell fans during the summer season, and both offer click-and-collect options if you’re using Uber or Bolt to transport things home. Head to both of these locations in Alfragide to get the biggest selection in house (IKEA – R. Oscar Niemeyer, Leroy Merlin Av. dos Cavaleiros 70). Leroy Merlin is the closest thing that Lisbon has to Home Depot from the US.
Miscellaneous Housewares: Drying Racks, Hair Catchers, Lightbulbs, and More
Portugal generally using clotheslines, but if your Airbnb doesn’t come with a drying rack, you’ll want to pick one up. These racks are found in Chinese shops, larger Continente and Auchan locations, and at IKEA or Leroy Merlin.
If you’re after random household odds and ends, like shower hair catchers, curtain hooks, clothes pegs, or light bulbs, Chinese shops are your best bet.
Miscellaneous Kitchenware
You’d think all supermarkets would carry basic kitchen items, but that’s not always the case. Some (but not all) Pingo Doce or Lidl stores have a small housewares aisle with plastic cups and plates, but others don’t even stock a colander.
For anything beyond the bare minimum (like a good cutting board, a pitcher for sangria, or durable plastic containers), you’ll have better luck at Continente Modelo, Auchan, IKEA, or El Corte Inglés. Don’t overlook Flying Tiger (a Danish variety store chain) for quirky and surprisingly useful kitchen tools.
For higher-quality or more stylish pieces, Lisbon has a few design-forward shops like A Vida Portuguesa, though these tend to focus more on aesthetics rather than function and are better for finding a nice souvenir to take home.
Office and Stationery Supplies
Here’s where things get oddly tricky: where do you buy a single envelope? ur a roll of tape?
While American convenience stores often carry these items, Portugal spreads them out across multiple store types. You can find envelopes and basic stationery at:
- FNAC (a bookstore/electronics chain with a surprising stationery section)
- Staples (yes, they exist here!)
- El Corte Inglés (department store)
- Flying Tiger (limited but fun selection)
- Continente (in larger locations only; the one at Colombo Shopping Centre definitely has it)
Don’t expect to find stationery at pharmacies or your neighborhood Pingo Doce. If you have a papeleria in your neighborhood, you may also be in luck. Search this in Google Maps.
Furniture (like Office Chairs)
Maybe you’re working remotely in Lisbon and your apartment has an office chair that isn’t up to your standard. You might be wondering: where do I get a desk chair?
Your best bets are:
- IKEA (Alfragide or Loures) – Budget-friendly and great selection
- Continente at Colombo Centre
- Leroy Merlin – Surprisingly good for home office needs
If you don’t have a car, consider using UberXL or Bolt Van to get your furniture back to the apartment from IKEA, or take advantage of IKEA’s delivery and assembly service.
Hardware and DIY – Tools, Paint, Repairs
For anyone staying longer, renovating, or just needing to fix a loose door hinge, head to Leroy Merlin, the Home Depot of Portugal. With locations in Alfragide, Loures, and beyond, it’s your one-stop shop for paint, tools, lighting, and plumbing supplies.
IKEA also carries some hardware basics, while Worten or FNAC can help with small appliances and electronics. The subterranean levels of El Corte Inglés also have tools!
Electronics and Tech – Chargers, Cables, Headphones
If you’ve forgotten your charger or need a power adapter, head to:
- Worten – Large electronics chain, found in most malls
- FNAC – Combines books, gadgets, and accessories
- Radio Popular – Similar to Worten, often slightly cheaper
- MediaMarkt – If you’re near Colombo Shopping Center
Chinese shops also sometimes carry basic cables and chargers, but quality can be hit-or-miss.
Clothing Basics – Socks, Underwear, and Raincoats
If your suitcase didn’t survive Ryanair baggage handling and you need a few wardrobe basics, Lisbon has several affordable and centrally located options:
- Primark – Inside Colombo or Almada Forum
- Lefties – Owned by Zara’s parent company, but much cheaper
- C&A – Good for basics and family shopping
- H&M, Zara, Pull & Bear – For slightly trendier options. If you get invited to a party and are looking for something affordable to wear, our favorite stop is the massive Zara in Rossio (Praça Dom Pedro IV 96 122). They might win the prize for most changing rooms in Lisbon!
For socks, tights, and lingerie basics, even Continente has small selections in larger stores.
Cheap Outdoor and Sporting Equipment – Quality Water Bottles, Tents, and Sleeping Bags
Repeat after us. Decathlon. Decathlon. Decathlon. This French sporting goods retailer is actually the largest in the world and has stores in 79 countries as of 2024. Lisbon is lucky to have quite a few locations with the most convenient being the one connected to El Corte Inglés on the ground floor (although this is not very big compared to the Oriente or Alfragide locations). If you want the widest selection, however, you should head to the Lisbon Oriente location or the one in Alfragide next to Ikea and Leroy Merlin. Decathlon is also next to Almada Forum. Decathlon has surfing gear, running clothes, roller skates, and even equestrian products in its biggest locations.
A smaller chain called Sport Zone can be found in Amoreiras Shopping Plaza or Colombo Shopping Centre and is great for picking up a very cheap one-piece swimsuit or water bottle for the local gym at a very affordable price.
Bookstores and English-Language Books
Need a journal, novel, or Portuguese phrasebook? Try:
- FNAC – Carries a selection of English books
- Bertrand – Visit the world’s oldest bookstore in the world in Chiado (R. Garrett 73 75)
- Ler Devagar – A must-visit in LX Factory, featuring English titles and quirky finds
- Bivar Books – An English-language used bookstore near Saldanha (Rua de Ponta Delgada 34A)
Bonus Tip: Ask Locals and Use Google Maps Strategically
When in doubt, ask a local (young people are the most likely to speak English) or use Google Maps with keywords in Portuguese. Try searching:
- “loja de ferragens” (hardware store)
- “papelaria” (stationery store)
- “eletrodomésticos” (appliance store)
- “loja chinesa” or “bazar” (Chinese shop)
Final Thoughts
Lisbon’s shopping culture has fewer big-box stores, more specialty shops, and a bit of mystery. It may not be as instantly convenient as what you’re used to, but it does come with its charms, which include unexpected finds in neighborhood shops, friendly interactions with staff, and the joy of finally spotting exactly what you need in a place you never expected.
So the next time you need a lightbulb, an envelope, or an electric fan, now you know where to look! The right shop is out there, and with this guide, you might even find it on the first try.
Special thanks to Briana and John for inspiring this article.
