Shopping in Estonia: Pärnu

This Saturday we headed off to Pärnu with a rather prosaic aim - to buy different and cheaper products, as well as pick up some clothing. Below are a few observations and recommendations for those who are also planning a similar shopping trip.

The distance from Riga to Pärnu is approximately ~182 km, the time spent travelling ~2 hours 40 minutes. Calculating 8 litres of fuel per 100 km, the return journey by car costs ~LVL 27.

Food Products from Estonia

All the larger shops in Pärnu are concentrated around the main street Riia mnt (Rīga Street), so navigation is very easy. We shopped at 4 grocery stores - Port Arturi Toidukaubad, Rimi, Selver and Tiina Konsum. The main food products that caught our attention:

• GEVALIA Arabic coffee, large pack 450 g, costs EUR 5.29–5.69. Comparing with prices in Latvian stores, here this coffee costs over LVL 5. Good value price-wise.

• TERE Hellus yogurts, which can also be found in Latvian stores Prisma and Stockmann, but not the rhubarb-oat yogurt. Price EUR 0.69–0.86. The key ingredient of the yogurt is the probiotic lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3, added under licence from the University of Tartu. On the yogurt lid you will also find a QR code which, when scanned, takes you to a website where you can read more about the ingredients and their beneficial effect on human health - improves digestion, contains natural antioxidants, helps strengthen the body's defences (and in Latvian, moreover).

• A diverse range of VILMA Kalev flour mixes. A competitor to our Dobeles dzirnavnieks, but without preservatives (at least, that is what the packaging states). Flour mixes for muffins, cake, pizza and pancakes. Price EUR 1.09–1.46.

Comparing the stores in terms of price and loyalty towards foreign customers, Rimi pleasantly surprised us - the loyalty card issued in Latvia was accepted there and all discounts applied. Selver, on the other hand, disappointed, as discounts there are divided into two groups - some understandable and accessible to all store customers, and others only for those holding a loyalty card that must be pre-obtained for a fee (EUR 6.30).

Clothing Stores in Pärnu

Mainly three shopping centres near the old town: Port Artur, Port Artur 2 and Pärnu Keskus. The shops inside are almost the same as in Riga - Seppälä, Mosaic, Monton, Bastion, and others.

Cosmetics from Estonia

The products of AS "Orto" under the brand Puhas Loodus (an alternative to our Latvian Dzintars) caught our attention, particularly three products - a blackcurrant and nettle shampoo (price EUR 1.76–2.00) and a calendula facial milk (EUR 2.55). All have been tried and found to be good.

For a bite to eat and to rest your feet, there are cafés and eateries right in the shopping centres, or you can stroll to the old town, where in the later evening hours Pärnu Nikolai Lehtla (Nikolai 7) is open. Despite being located right in the heart of the old town, the prices are reasonable (coffee ~EUR 1.20, main course ~EUR 3.85–6) and the portions are large. The interior is in the style of Tsarist Russia.