If you’re looking for the best supermarkets in Shanghai, the good news is that the city’s grocery scene has improved enormously over the past decade. Whether you’re hunting for imported cheese, stocking a new apartment, or just trying to find a decent bottle of olive oil, there’s a store for you — you just need to know which one.
This guide focuses on the stores most expats and visitors actually rely on. For a full overview of all formats including hypermarkets and convenience stores, see our supermarkets in Shanghai hub.
The Imported Goods Specialists
When it comes to the best supermarkets in Shanghai for Western groceries, City Super and Ole’ are the clear starting point.
City’Super 城市超市 and Ole’ 精品超市
Best for: premium imported groceries across the board
For anyone newly arrived in Shanghai — or visiting and wanting familiar products without the hassle of figuring out the local alternatives — City Super and Ole’ are the natural first stop. The range is broad, the English signage is reasonable, and you can walk in without any prior knowledge of the city and find what you need. Once you’re settled and have your bearings, you’ll likely explore cheaper or more specialist options. But as a soft landing, nothing beats them.
Both carry a solid range of imported cheeses, European deli meats, wines, spirits, condiments, fresh herbs, and international snacks. They’re the most reliable option for a full Western-style shop in Shanghai, and quality is generally consistent.
Prices reflect the import premium — expect to pay noticeably more than you would at Aldi or Hema for equivalent products, and more than you’d pay back home for most imported items.
City Super has locations in IAPM, Taikoo Hui, and IFC Mall in Pudong. Ole’ is more widely spread — you’ll find it in Kerry Centre in Jing’an, MixC Mall in Minhang, and New World Daimaru, among others. Both are easy to find, and if you’re in a major shopping mall there’s a good chance one of them is nearby.
Freshmart 鲜品馆 (Jing’an Temple)
Best for: international groceries with good Japanese coverage
Freshmart is best thought of as a well-stocked international supermarket that happens to have a strong Japanese section, rather than a purely Japanese store. You’ll find a solid range of Western imports alongside Japanese condiments, snacks, noodles, and fresh produce — making it a genuinely useful one-stop shop if you’re in the Jing’an area. Located in the basement of Jiu Guang Department Store, it’s convenient and central enough to be a regular stop for expats living nearby.
Japanese Supermarket at Takashimaya 高岛屋
Best for: Japanese groceries and imported products in the Hongqiao area
The supermarket in the basement of Takashimaya in Gubei serves the large Japanese expat community in Hongqiao, and its range reflects that — strong on Japanese staples like miso, dashi, tofu, sake, and Japanese snacks, but also well stocked with non-Japanese imported products that Japanese residents want alongside their home-country goods. The result is a broader imported range than you might expect. Less useful if you’re based in the city centre, but the go-to option for anyone living or working on the western side of the city.
You can use our shanghai-supermarket-store-finder for nearby branches.
The Everyday Options
These stores are where most Shanghai residents do the bulk of their regular shopping.
Hema 盒马 (Freshippo)
Best for: convenience, delivery, and everyday groceries with a growing imported range
Hema doesn’t make the list of best supermarkets in Shanghai for imported goods — but for everyday groceries and fast delivery, nothing comes close. You can shop in-store or order through the app, with delivery often arriving within 30 minutes if you’re within range of a branch. For everyday Chinese groceries — fresh produce, meat, seafood, tofu, snacks — it’s hard to beat on price or convenience.
The imported selection is more limited than City Super or Ole’, and that’s worth knowing before you go. You’ll typically find imported wines, spirits, olive oil, and staples like Thai Jasmine rice without much trouble. But don’t count on finding a decent range of imported cheeses, fresh herbs like rosemary, specialist condiments, or international chocolate bars — that kind of range is still thin at most branches, though it is steadily improving as Chinese consumers become more accustomed to imported products.
The rule of thumb with Hema is simple: if you can find what you need there, buy it — it’ll almost certainly be cheaper than City Super or Ole’. But for a full imported goods shop, it’s not yet a reliable substitute.
One membership perk worth knowing: Hema offers an annual membership that lets you nominate one fixed day per week to receive 12% off all purchases — whether you’re shopping in-store or ordering via the app. If you shop there regularly, the fee pays for itself quickly.
Just Fresh 捷德鲜
Best for: imported groceries with delivery across central Shanghai
Just Fresh is a small but growing chain of independent imported food stores with at least six locations across Huangpu, Jing’an, Changning, Xuhui, and Pudong. Think of it as a step up in size and organisation from the Avocado Lady — proper shelving, a browsable layout, and a solid range of imported dry goods, dairy, deli items, fresh herbs, and Western staples
The real draw for many expats is the delivery option via Ele.me, with orders typically arriving within 30 to 45 minutes. For days when you need a specific imported ingredient without trekking across town, Just Fresh punches well above its weight.
It’s not the most personal shopping experience — you browse and find what you need yourself rather than asking — but the range is reliably good and the prices sit between the big chains and the premium end of City Super.
Multiple locations across Huangpu, Jing’an, Changning, Xuhui, and Pudong — find your nearest branch on Dianping or order via Ele.me.
Aldi 奥乐齐
Best for: affordable imported groceries
Aldi in Shanghai is a genuine surprise. The range is smaller than the big imported specialists, but what it does carry — European cheeses, pasta, olive oil, wines, snacks — is reliably good quality at noticeably lower prices. It’s particularly strong on own-brand European products, and if you’re watching the grocery budget without wanting to sacrifice quality entirely, Aldi deserves a regular slot in your shopping rotation.
You can also order from Aldi via its app for home delivery, which adds another layer of convenience.
Times Grocery 泰晤士自选超市
Best for: central location and a mix of local and imported groceries
Times Grocery sits in the basement of Shanghai Centre on Nanjing Road West, which makes it one of the most conveniently located supermarkets in the city for tourists and expats living in the Jing’an area. It carries a solid mix of everyday groceries alongside a reasonable imported selection — not as broad as City Super, but good enough for most purposes. Its central location is its biggest selling point.
The Warehouse Clubs
These are membership-based stores — not for everyday top-up shops, but genuinely worth considering for bulk buying.
Sam’s Club 山姆会员商店 and Costco 开市客
Best for: bulk buying, international brands, and stocking up
For bulk buying, the best supermarkets in Shanghai are Sam’s Club and Costco — both membership-based warehouse stores with wide imported ranges. Both carry a wide range of imported groceries alongside household goods, electronics, and clothing.
Sam’s Club is the more established of the two in Shanghai, with several locations across the city. Costco arrived in 2019 and now has two locations — it’s become particularly well known for Kirkland products and popular imported food items, and weekend crowds can be significant.
Neither store is convenient for a quick mid-week shop. They work best if you have storage space and are buying for a household rather than a single person. The savings on items like imported nuts, olive oil, wine, and snacks can be meaningful over time, but the membership fee (around ¥260–300 per year depending on the store) needs to make financial sense for your situation.
If you’re new to Shanghai and setting up a home, an early Costco or Sam’s Club run to stock the basics is a rite of passage for many expats.
The Hypermarkets
If you need to combine a big grocery shop with picking up household goods — a rice cooker, a fan, a bicycle — the hypermarkets in Shanghai are worth knowing about.
Walmart, RT-Mart and Century Mart all operate large-format stores across Shanghai selling groceries alongside electronics, appliances and general merchandise. Prices are competitive and the range is broad, but these are destination trips rather than neighbourhood shops, with only a handful of locations across the city. Most are in or near retail complexes, so a meal before or after is usually easy to arrange.
Beyond the Chains
The Avocado Lady 红怡副食品
No guide to shopping for imported food in Shanghai would be complete without her.
The Avocado Lady — known to the expat community by that name, though her shop sign reads 红怡副食品 — has been a fixture at 274 Wulumuqi Road in the former French Concession for years. What started as an ordinary neighbourhood fruit and veg stall gradually transformed into something quite different, as foreign customers began asking for things she didn’t stock. She listened, sourced them, and kept going.
Today the fresh produce — mostly locally grown, including western herbs like fresh basil, flat-leaf parsley, and rosemary that you’d struggle to find at a standard Chinese greengrocer — is almost a footnote. The real reason expats make the trip is the imported dry goods and specialty items crammed into every corner of the shop: vanilla essence, feta cheese, olives, lentils, tahini, Bounty bars. The kind of things that turn up when you need them most and that you wouldn’t dream of finding in a small street-front shop in any other city.
She’s a former French Concession institution, and worth visiting at least once even if you don’t need anything.
Address: 274 Wulumuqi Middle Road (乌鲁木齐中路274号), former French Concession
Convenience Stores
FamilyMart, 7-Eleven and Lawson are everywhere — metro stations, street corners, office buildings. For a late-night snack, a drink, or something you’ve run out of unexpectedly, they’re unbeatable on accessibility. The trade-off is a limited range, small pack sizes and prices higher than supermarkets. Treat them as top-up shops rather than anywhere to do a proper grocery run.
Which Supermarket Should You Choose?
| Your Priority | Go To |
|---|---|
| Full Western grocery shop | City Super or Ole’ |
| Japanese ingredients | Freshmart or Takashimaya |
| Fast delivery and everyday groceries | Hema |
| Budget-friendly imports | Aldi |
| Central location, mixed range | Times Grocery |
| Bulk buying | Sam’s Club or Costco |
| Hard-to-find imported ingredients | Avocado Lady |
| Big weekly shop with durables | Walmart or RT-Mart |
| Quick top-up or late night | FamilyMart, 7-Eleven or Lawson |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best supermarket in Shanghai for expats? It depends on what you need. City Super and Ole’ are the most reliable for a broad range of Western imports. Hema is the best for everyday groceries and fast delivery. Aldi is the best value for imported staples.
Where can I buy imported food in Shanghai? City Super, Ole’, Freshmart, Aldi, Sam’s Club, and Costco all carry good ranges of imported products. See our full guide to imported food in Shanghai for a more detailed breakdown by product type.
Is Costco worth it in Shanghai? For households or families who buy in bulk, yes. The membership fee pays for itself reasonably quickly if you regularly buy imported groceries, wines, or household goods. Less useful for single people or those with limited storage.
Are Shanghai supermarkets expensive? It varies considerably. Local produce at Hema or a standard Chinese supermarket is very affordable. Imported products at City Super or Ole’ carry a significant premium. Aldi sits in the middle and is worth considering if budget matters.
Does Hema deliver? Yes — Hema delivers via its own app, typically within 30 minutes. For another delivery option, Just Fresh is available on Ele.me, usually arriving within 30 to 45 minutes.
What are the hypermarkets in Shanghai? Walmart, RT-Mart and Century Mart are the main large-format hypermarkets — good for a big weekly shop and general merchandise, though they require more of a deliberate trip than a neighbourhood supermarket.
Who is the Avocado Lady in Shanghai? A former French Concession institution at 274 Wulumuqi Middle Road. What started as a neighbourhood fruit and veg stall has evolved into one of the best sources of hard-to-find imported ingredients in the city — feta, tahini, lentils, vanilla essence, and much more.
Explore More:
Living in Shanghai | Imported Food in Shanghai | Wet markets in Shanghai | Cheap Supermarkets | Shanghai Store Finder