Buying Groceries In Turkey : My Experience As An Expat in Turkish Supermarket

Picture this: You’ve just landed in Turkey feeling confident about your expat adventure. Then reality hits – you need food. How hard could grocery shopping be, right?

Spoiler alert: Very hard.

There I was, staring at walls of mysterious red pastes (what is salça?), hunting for peanut butter that doesn’t exist, and finding milk sitting unrefrigerated in cardboard boxes like some grocery fever dream. I felt like I’d been dropped into an alternate universe where everything looked familiar but operated by different rules.

If you’re reading this while standing confused in a Turkish supermarket – breathe. You’re not alone. I’m about to turn you from a bewildered tourist into someone who shops like a local.

The Turkish Retail Trinity: Your New Best Friends

Here’s the thing about Turkish grocery shopping – it’s not broken, it’s just playing by different rules. Think of it like switching from iPhone to Android, or from automatic to manual transmission. Once you understand the system, it actually makes a lot of sense.

Let me introduce you to the three stores that will become as familiar as your local coffee shop back home: BİM, A101, and Şok. These aren’t just stores – they’re a lifestyle revolution disguised as discount chains.

BİM: The Reliable Older Brother

BİM is like that reliable friend who always has their life together. They pioneered the “everyday low prices” concept in Turkey, which means no gimmicky sales, no confusing loyalty programs, just consistently cheap stuff. Walking into a BİM is like entering a minimalist’s dream – around 850 carefully curated products, most of which are their own high-quality brands.

Think of BİM as the Costco of convenience stores. They buy in massive quantities, slap their own label on everything, and pass the savings to you. Their private-label products aren’t cheap knockoffs – they’re often made in the same factories as name brands, just without the fancy marketing budget.

Pro tip: Their dairy section will become your best friend. Turkish yogurt is so thick you could practically stand a spoon in it, and it costs about what you’d pay for a fancy coffee back home.

A101: The Overachiever

A101 is like that friend who’s everywhere at once – they have over 12,000 stores across Turkey. That’s more stores than McDonald’s has in the entire United States! They’re slightly more varied than BİM, carrying some international brands alongside their private labels.

What sets A101 apart is their embrace of the digital age. Their “A101 Kapıda” (A101 at the Door) app promises same-day delivery, though we’ll talk about the foreign credit card plot twist later.

Şok: The Fresh Food Champion

Şok is owned by the same company that makes Godiva chocolate, which should tell you something about their standards. They’re particularly good for fresh produce and often have the best deals on fruits and vegetables. If you’re trying to eat healthy on a budget, Şok is your friend.

These three stores combined account for about 40% of all grocery sales in Turkey. That’s not a typo – nearly half the country shops at stores that would fit in your local gas station back home.

When You Need More Than the Basics: The Big Leagues

Sometimes you need more than milk and bread. Maybe you’re cooking dinner for friends, or you need that specific brand of pasta sauce that makes everything taste like home. This is when you graduate to the full-service supermarkets.

Migros: The Swiss Army Knife

Migros is like the iPhone of Turkish supermarkets – they have a format for everything. Need a quick snack? There’s Migros Jet. Want to do your weekly shopping? Try MM Migros. Feeling fancy? The 5M Migros hypermarkets are basically small cities with grocery stores attached.

The larger Migros stores are expat havens. They have international food aisles where you can find everything from Mexican food kits to Asian sauces. The massive 5M Migros hypermarkets (like the ones in major shopping areas) are basically small cities with grocery stores attached, while places like Kozyatağı CarrefourSA offer similar mega-shopping experiences. They’re also one of the few places you can reliably find that Holy Grail of expat shopping: peanut butter.

Aha moment alert: Get their Money Card loyalty program immediately. Those yellow sale tags you see everywhere? Most of them only apply if you have the card. It’s free, takes two minutes to set up, and will save you serious money.

CarrefourSA: The French Connection

CarrefourSA is what happens when French retail expertise meets Turkish market knowledge. They were the first to bring the hypermarket concept to Turkey back in 1993, though they’ve since learned that Turks prefer smaller, more convenient formats.

Like Migros, they have different store sizes for different needs, and their larger locations have excellent international food sections. Their loyalty program is also worth getting – it partners with other brands for cross-promotional benefits.

The Gourmet Emergency: When Only Macrocenter Will Do

Let’s be honest – sometimes you just need a taste of home, budget be damned. Maybe it’s your birthday and you want proper aged cheddar. Maybe you’re homesick and desperately need Sriracha sauce. This is when you make a pilgrimage to Macrocenter.

Macrocenter is like the Whole Foods of Turkey, if Whole Foods also imported every comfort food you’ve ever missed. With locations in major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Antalya, walking into one feels like stepping into a different economic universe. They have fresh seafood, imported beverages, organic everything, and yes – an entire wall of different peanut butter brands.

The catch? Everything costs about three times what you’d pay elsewhere. But sometimes, when you’re feeling particularly homesick, paying €8 for a jar of Nutella feels like a small price for emotional stability.

Specialty Store Treasure Hunt

Beyond Macrocenter, Turkey’s cosmopolitan cities offer hidden gems for specific cravings. In Istanbul, neighborhoods like Nişantaşı, Moda, and Beşiktaş are goldmines for specialty and ethnic stores. You’ll find Eataly in Zorlu Center for authentic Italian products, Milano Gourmet in Nişantaşı for a wide range of foreign foods, and the Çin Market on Hariciye Konağı sokak near Taksim for Chinese and Japanese ingredients.

Aksaray is your go-to for Syrian and Iranian grocers, while Cihangir houses Vegan Dükkan for plant-based specialties. For organic options, check out City Farm locations in Caddebostan and Istinye Park mall, or the organic market in Feriköy.

Even pork products are findable – Gourmet Pork operates online delivery, and upscale neighborhoods typically have at least one store with a dedicated section.

Beyond the Sliding Doors: The Real Turkish Experience

Here’s where things get really interesting. All those supermarkets I just described? They’re just the opening act. The real show happens in the traditional markets and specialty shops that have been serving Turkish communities for centuries.

The Weekly Pazar: Sensory Overload in the Best Way

The weekly pazar (pronounced “pa-ZAR,” not “pa-zar” like the shopping website) is like a farmers market, flea market, and community festival rolled into one chaotic, wonderful experience. Every neighborhood has one on a specific day of the week, and it’s where the magic happens.

Imagine walking into a street that’s been temporarily transformed into an open-air food wonderland. Vendors are calling out prices in sing-song voices: “Domates, domates! Kilosu üç lira!” (Tomatoes, tomatoes! Three lira a kilo!). Mountains of colorful produce are piled high, glistening olives sit in giant barrels, and the air smells like fresh herbs and ripe fruit.

The quality is usually far superior to supermarket produce – we’re talking vegetables picked hours, not days, before sale. The prices are incredible too. You can leave with bags heavy enough to give you a shoulder workout having spent less than you would on a single fancy coffee.

Crucial language note: If you ask a Turkish person for directions to “the market,” they’ll point you to the nearest Migros. If you want the magical outdoor experience, you need to specifically ask for the “pazar.”

Where to Find the Best Pazars:

• Istanbul: Tuesday market in Kadıköy, Wednesday market in Fatih, organic market in Feriköy
• İzmir: The famous Kemeraltı Bazaar
• Mediterranean coast: Alanya Bazaar for coastal towns

Every neighborhood has its own pazar day, so ask locals about your area’s schedule.

The Neighborhood Specialists: Your New Support Network

Complementing the weekly pazar rhythm is a network of specialized shops that form the backbone of Turkish neighborhood life. Think of it as a food-focused ecosystem where each shop has evolved to do one thing exceptionally well.

The bakkal (corner shop) is your convenience store, but run by someone who knows your name and remembers that you prefer the local honey over the imported stuff. The kasap (butcher) doesn’t just sell pre-packaged meat – they’ll cut exactly what you need and give you cooking advice. The fırın (bakery) produces bread so fresh it’s still warm from the oven.

What’s fascinating is how this traditional system coexists perfectly with modern convenience. You can order groceries via app and have them delivered in 10 minutes, while your neighbor still lowers a woven basket from their third-floor window for the bakkal owner to fill with daily essentials. It’s not old versus new – it’s both, thriving in parallel.

The Expat Pantry: What to Embrace and What to Hunt For

Local Treasures Worth Discovering

Turkish cuisine is built on incredibly fresh, high-quality ingredients, and learning to cook with them is half the fun of living here. The dairy section alone is an adventure – forget cheddar, and say hello to beyaz peynir (white cheese), which is like feta’s creamier, less salty cousin. Turkish yogurt is so thick and tangy it makes Greek yogurt look like milk.

The produce is incredible – tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes, cucumbers that are sweet and crisp, and eggplants that star in dozens of local dishes. The pantry essentials are different but delicious: salça (those mysterious red pastes) form the flavor base for countless dishes, bulgur replaces rice in many recipes, and nar ekşisi (pomegranate molasses) adds a sweet-sour tang to everything.

The Great Expat Treasure Hunts

Certain items become legendary quests among expats. Peanut butter is the most famous – it’s virtually non-existent in discount stores and expensive when you find it. Pork products exist but require a trip to upscale supermarkets where they’re kept in separate, clearly marked sections. Specific produce like fresh coriander or bok choy sends you hunting through organic pazars and specialty ethnic stores.

Reality check: Only about 4-5% of food items in Turkish stores are imported. Set your expectations accordingly, and view finding your favorite childhood cereal as a victory, not a given.

The Practical Stuff: Money, Apps, and Logistics

The Budget Reality

Here’s the good news: groceries in Turkey are significantly cheaper than most Western countries. A single person can expect to spend about 1,500-3,000 Turkish Lira monthly (roughly $75-150 USD) on groceries, depending on how often you succumb to Macrocenter temptation.

What You’ll Actually Pay (2024-2025 Prices):

Note: Prices fluctuate due to inflation and vary by location/store type and are relative to the time of writing this article.

The trick is learning the rhythm – hit the discount stores for basics, the pazar for fresh produce, and save the splurges for special occasions.

The Payment Plot Twist

Here’s where things get interesting. Supermarkets accept both cash (nakit) and Turkish-issued credit/debit cards without issue. But here’s the catch: Google Pay and Apple Pay don’t work at most checkouts, so you’ll need physical cards or cash.

Traditional venues operate differently:

• Weekly pazar: Cash only, no exceptions
• Bakkal (corner shops): Mostly cash, some accept cards
• Fırın (bakeries): Usually cash only

The biggest frustration for newcomers? Most grocery delivery apps don’t accept foreign credit cards. This creates a chicken-and-egg problem where you need a Turkish bank account to access the convenience economy.

Pro tip: Get a Turkish bank account ASAP if you’re staying more than a few months. It unlocks apps like Getir (10-minute delivery) and Migros Sanal Market.

The Bag Tax That Actually Works

Turkey charges 25 kuruş (about 7 cents) for each plastic bag. It sounds minimal, but it’s enough to train everyone to bring reusable bags. Don’t be that tourist fumbling for coins at checkout – join the locals with their canvas totes.

Quick Reference: Essential Turkish Shopping Phrases

• “Merhaba” (mer-HA-ba) – Hello
• “Bu ne kadar?” (boo neh kad-AR) – How much is this?
• “Teşekkür ederim” (tesh-ek-KUR ed-er-IM) – Thank you
• “Kolay gelsin” (ko-LIE gel-SIN) – May your work be easy (use with cashiers)
• “Poşet var mı?” (po-SHET var muh) – Do you have a bag?
• “Nakit” (na-KIT) – Cash
• “Kredi kartı” (kred-EE kart-UH) – Credit card

Turkish Supermarket Tiers Quick Guide

From Confusion to Confidence: Your Transformation Journey

Six years ago, I stood in that first supermarket feeling completely lost. Today, I have my Tuesday pazar routine down to a science, know which BİM has the best produce, and can navigate the salça wall like a local chef. The transformation didn’t happen overnight, but it happened gradually, deliciously, one shopping trip at a time.

Learning to shop in Turkey isn’t just about finding food – it’s about understanding the rhythm of daily life here. It’s about discovering that the slow pace of the neighborhood bakkal isn’t inefficiency, it’s intentional community building. It’s about realizing that the pazar isn’t just cheaper than supermarkets, it’s more fun too.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Start with one store from each tier. Try BİM for basics, visit a larger Migros for variety, and treat yourself to one Macrocenter splurge. Find your local pazar day and brave the crowds. Most importantly, stay curious and be patient with yourself.

The reward isn’t just a well-stocked pantry – it’s the confidence that comes from successfully navigating a completely different system and the joy of discovering flavors you never knew existed.

Afiyet olsun! (Enjoy your meal!)

Now go forth and shop like the local you’re becoming.