Timetable

Stores and boutiques are generally open from 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 6pm on Saturdays. Shopping centers roughly follow these hours, with late-night opening until 9pm on weekdays and opening until 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Supermarkets, such as K-Kauppa and S-Market, are increasingly open every day from 7am to 11pm, some even 24 hours a day.

Budget & Tips

The most widely used means of payment is the credit card, whether in department stores, restaurants, hotels, service stations or in all cabs. However, this is less the case in very small towns (e.g. Lapland). So remember to withdraw cash before you go.

Sales

No regulated sales periods, but in summer from mid-June to early July, and in winter generally from just before Christmas to February.

What's very local

Prices are fixed in Finland and always posted. There's not much haggling except in the markets (especially before they close). You can also try haggling in specialized stores (design, music...), if you buy several items for example. For sporting activities, you can try to negotiate prices (snowmobile rentals in particular). After two negative responses, it's best not to insist.

More popular and fun than in France, second-hand goods are a real passion for Helsinkians, who don't hesitate to visit the many flea markets and specialist stores. Among the most popular is the Hietalahti summer open-air market, affectionately nicknamed "Hietsu". It's a modus vivendi that has given rise to an interesting urban movement: siivouspäivä (clean-up day). The concept? Twice a year (end of May and end of August), a bit like ravintolapäivä (restaurant day), anyone can set up a flea market stall wherever they like, and donate or sell their attic or closet treasures at low prices. The aim is not only to encourage recycling, but also to create a social link in an urban environment. An idea that could be replicated elsewhere in Europe? Further information: www.siivouspaiva.com

Tourist traps

Nothing to report on the tourist-trap front. Generally speaking, counterfeits are not commonplace in the Nordic countries.