If you are traveling or settling in Norway, knowing when supermarkets close saves you a lot of stress. Norway is convenient in many ways, but shop hours are shaped by national rules, local habits, and our love of quiet Sundays. I have guided plenty of visitors through this, and the pattern is clear once you know what to expect.
Short answer first: most Norwegian supermarkets close around 10 or 11 pm on weekdays, earlier on Saturdays (often 6 to 8 pm), and are closed on Sundays. There are exceptions, especially small convenience-style shops that are allowed to open on Sundays, and tourist areas that keep seasonal Sunday hours. Alcohol sales stop earlier than store closing times, so do not count on buying beer late at night.
Let’s take a deeper dive into supermarket closing times in Norway.
How Norwegian shop hours work
Norway has general restrictions on Sunday and holiday trading. The idea is simple: give people predictable quiet time. Large supermarkets are typically closed on Sundays and on official public holidays. That said, small stores below a certain size can open, which is why you see tiny versions of familiar chains open on Sundays. You will recognize them by the compact floorplan and a more limited selection.
Chain names you will meet everywhere include Kiwi, Rema 1000, Coop Extra, Meny, Spar, and Bunnpris. The big ones carry full assortments and set the rhythm for weekly shopping. The smaller formats or kiosks cover the gaps when everything else is shut. This is very normal here. We do our main shop during the week or on Saturday, then top up at a small shop if needed.
Typical closing times by day
Weekdays (Monday to Friday). In cities and larger towns, most supermarkets close around 22:00 or 23:00. Opening is often 07:00 or 08:00. If you land late in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, or Stavanger, you usually have enough time to grab groceries before 23:00. In smaller towns, 21:00 is common, and winter hours can be a touch shorter in the far north.
Saturdays. Expect earlier closing, commonly 18:00 to 20:00. Many shops run full hours in the morning and early afternoon, then wind down. If you are planning a cabin weekend or a long train ride, do your shop by mid-afternoon. I aim to be done by 16:00, especially if I need something specific like specialty bread or fresh fish.
Sundays. Large supermarkets are closed. What you will find open are small convenience shops (often branded versions of the same chains, plus kiosks like Narvesen and 7-Eleven) and many petrol station stores. The selection is fine for basics: milk, bread, spreads, fruit, snacks, ready meals. Prices can be a bit higher and the selection tighter, so treat Sunday shopping as a top-up, not a weekly shop.
Holiday and special-day closing patterns
Norway observes several public holidays that close large supermarkets, similar to Sundays. These include New Year’s Day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. In addition, May 1 (Labor Day) and May 17 (Constitution Day) affect opening hours, often with closures or very limited hours for larger stores.
A few non-holiday days still bring shortened hours:
- Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve: many supermarkets close early, sometimes mid-afternoon.
- Easter Saturday: shorter hours are common.
- The day before some holidays can also see early closing in smaller places.
If you are visiting in December, you may notice seasonal Sunday openings in certain areas or extended evening hours on weekdays. This is practical for the holiday rush, but do not assume it everywhere. Norway is consistent about Sundays, with exceptions mostly for small-format shops or designated tourist areas.
City vs small town: what actually happens
In a big city like Oslo, Kiwi, Rema 1000, and Coop Extra commonly run until 22:00 or 23:00 on weekdays. Meny is a premium chain with excellent produce and fish counters; many Meny stores keep long weekday hours but often close a bit earlier on Saturdays than discount chains. Spar varies more by location; in central areas it can be late, in rural areas it might close earlier.
In a small town or village, the pattern tightens. You might see weekday closing at 20:00 or 21:00, and Saturday closing at 18:00 is fairly standard. North of the Arctic Circle, winter may bring slightly shorter hours, though that depends on the community. I always tell friends on road trips: if you pass a well-stocked supermarket mid-afternoon on Saturday, consider stopping. It is much nicer to arrive at your cabin with groceries already sorted.
Sunday strategies that locals actually use
Sundays in Norway are for slow mornings, hiking, friends, and waffles. Shopping is minimal. When we do need something:
- Look for small-format versions of the big chains. Some Joker, Bunnpris, and certain Kiwi mini or Coop convenience formats are open on Sundays. You will notice the compact layout and fewer aisles.
- Petrol station shops are a safety net. Many carry decent fresh basics now, not only snacks and windshield fluid.
- Plan a simple Sunday meal. Norwegians love foods that do not require last-minute shopping: soup, baked salmon from the freezer, or a classic open-faced sandwich with leftovers.
If you are staying in a tourist hotspot during summer, you may find more options on Sundays. Places like fjord villages or mountain resorts often adapt to visitor flow. Still, I would not rely on a full supermarket being open unless you have checked the exact store on Google Maps and tapped through to its latest hours.
The alcohol rules that catch visitors out
Two clocks matter in Norway: store closing time and the alcohol sales cutoff. They are not the same. Beer and cider have earlier sales cutoffs than the supermarket’s closing time, and no alcohol sales are allowed on Sundays or public holidays. Cutoffs vary by municipality, but a common pattern is beer sales ending at 20:00 Monday to Friday and 18:00 on Saturday. If you arrive at the checkout after the cutoff, the cashier legally cannot sell you beer, even if the store is still open.
For wine and spirits, you will need Vinmonopolet, the state-run stores. They are closed on Sundays and public holidays, with shorter Saturday hours and normal weekday hours that typically end late afternoon or early evening. Around Christmas they often extend hours, but I still plan weekday visits or early Saturday. If you like to pair your dinner with a specific bottle, do not leave Polet for the last minute.
What to expect by chain
This is a quick feel for the big names. Exact hours vary by address, but it helps to know the character of each chain.
Kiwi. Discount chain with long weekday hours in cities, often until 22:00 or 23:00. Saturdays usually 18:00 to 20:00 closing. Good for basics, fresh produce, and frequent promotions.
Rema 1000. Also discount, similar weekday closings to Kiwi in bigger towns. Reliable for quick in-and-out shops. Saturday closing often earlier in smaller places.
Coop Extra. Value-focused, long weekday hours in urban areas. Good produce and big-store feel, with smaller hours in rural branches.
Meny. Premium selection with strong fresh counters. Often long weekday hours, but Saturday can be an hour or so earlier than discount chains. Worth it for quality and specialty items.
Spar and Bunnpris. Highly location dependent. Some Spar stores are neighborhood staples with generous hours, others are modest. Bunnpris has a number of small-format outlets that open Sundays, which is handy when you need milk, bread, or fruit.
Practical tips from a local
Plan the Saturday shop. Aim to finish by 16:00 if you have a long list. Fresh bakery items and popular dinner ingredients thin out later.
Check the exact store on your map app. Listings in Norway are generally accurate. Tap into the store’s profile to see current closing time and any holiday notices. If you are in the fjords or up in Lofoten, look carefully at the Saturday time.
Keep a basic pantry. Oats, pasta, canned tomatoes, cheese, crispbread, and frozen berries will carry you through a Sunday or a holiday. Norwegians are masters at making a decent meal out of a small pantry.
Mind the alcohol cutoff. Beer and cider sales stop earlier than the store closes. If buying drinks for the weekend, do it well before evening and never leave it for Sunday.
Use the small Sunday shops wisely. They are perfect for milk, eggs, bread, and fruit. Do not expect the full selection of your Friday night supermarket.
Watch for seasonal tweaks. Pre-Christmas weeks often bring extended hours on weekdays and sometimes Sunday openings in busy areas. Summer in tourist zones can look different from November in a quiet inland town.
What this looks like in real life
Let’s say you fly into Oslo on a Friday evening. If you reach the city by 21:30, you will likely find a Kiwi or Rema 1000 open until 23:00. Saturday morning, your neighborhood store probably opens by 08:00, with closing around 18:00 to 20:00. On Sunday, you find a small-format shop a few blocks away for top-ups and snacks. If you want wine, you plan Vinmonopolet on Friday afternoon or early Saturday. That rhythm holds across most of Norway, from Tromsø to Kristiansand.
When I head to the mountains, I check the last big supermarket along the route and shop there by mid-afternoon Saturday. It is cheaper and the selection is wider than what I will find at the petrol station by the cabin. If I forget something, the small Sunday shop will rescue me, but I would rather arrive with everything in the boot and the evening free.
Quick answers to common questions
Do any supermarkets stay open 24 hours? Very rarely. Norway does not really do 24-hour supermarkets. Petrol station shops cover late nights.
Are all Sundays closed everywhere? Large supermarkets, yes. Small stores and petrol station shops are your Sunday options, plus seasonal exceptions in tourist areas.
How late can I buy beer? Often until 20:00 on weekdays and 18:00 on Saturdays, earlier in some municipalities. Never on Sundays or public holidays.
What about Christmas and Easter? Expect closures on the main holidays and early closing on Christmas Eve and Easter Saturday. Plan ahead and you will be fine.
If you keep these patterns in mind, shopping in Norway becomes easy. Do your main run on weekdays or early Saturday, treat Sundays as light and quiet, and remember that the beer clock does not match the store clock. After that, the only real decision is whether you are a brown cheese person yet.