One of two NK locations, which stands for Nordiska Kompaniet - NK is a huge, grand, old department…read morestore in the centre of Stockholm - it opened in 1902, 38 years after the only other NK store which is also in Sweden, in Gothenburg. The store has so many areas specialising in different things from food to beauty - many of which have their own names, making a mini shopping mall with different parts of the store having their own Yelp listings - it would have been nice to see a technology section here similar to modern department stores, however. The store is step-free, apart from the grand main entrance which has steps going both up and down. This store is even worth visiting just for the grand nature and beautiful architecture which is remarkable and surely stands out in its' location, close to tram/bus services and T-Centralian. There wasn't a great deal of staff around the floor, other than those who might work for the individual stands within NK rather than the mall its-self and the store can be a little difficult to navigate at times due to its size- surprising for a high-end department store that employs 1200+. A remarkable, impressive department store just to walk around for the look and feel of the store alone - bare in mind it is pretty high-end and affluent, like a Swedish Selfridges. 4*

There's nothing quite like the NK (Nordiska Kompaniet) in the US anymore. The NK is to Sweden what…read moreStockmann is to Finland, sitting self-confidently at the top of the national retail market. The NK has top local and international brands. With a selection unrivaled in Sweden and impeccable customer service, the store attracts a decidedly upper-scale urban local segment. It claims 12M visitors p.a., including the random foreign business traveler like me. Joseph Sachs' founding vision was to make NK 'commercial and cultural theater.' The vibe at the NK is what I imagine Saks was like in '50s New York. Let's call it earnest coolness. There's more of an emphasis on quality workmanship and active curation of wearable fashion (rather than couture) brands like Peak Performance, Ralph Lauren and Gant. Less so the likes of YSL or Prada.

City Gross is as good as it gets when it comes to grocery stores in Sweden. I must admit I am a…read morehuge carnivore and meat of high quality holds a special place in my heart. I can always count on their meat quality here and all their fresh meat is Swedish which for me is a mark of high quality meat that has been handled with care. They offer you double your money back if you're unhappy with your meat - which, let's face it, shows that they have tons of confidence in the quality of their meat. In other respects, it's a well stocked grocery store with all the necessities but the meat department is where city gross truly shines.

Åhléns City is a large department store in the city centre of Stockholm from a large department…read morestore chain as Åhléns has locations in almost every city in Sweden to the point they have 18 stores in its' capital, Stockholm alone and Åhléns are also the fourth largest group of fashion retailers in Sweden. Unusual for a chain department store, it is notable enough to have its' own Wikipedia page on the Swedish website and it was sadly the sight of the terrorist attack on Stockholm in 2017 which means it is also blue-graded by the Stockholm City Museum, which corresponds to the requirements for building memories in the Cultural Heritage Act. The store is pretty large - it is actually the largest in the Åhléns brand to the point this store alone makes up 20% of the company's revenue according to reports and it is a pretty decent store mainly for fashion and home - there isn't a great deal of food and drink here but there is a Joe's Juice Bar inside the department store, which seems to be common at many Åhléns locations including ones located in shopping malls around Stockholm County. The selection of beauty brands is much better than other department stores, especially other Åhléns locations. A pretty good store and a large department store, it might not be as impressive as NK nearby and lack a decent food selection but it is one of the two great department stores in the city centre of Stockholm and that surely warrants a four-star rating.

Kind of a hard store to figure out. The signs by the escalator are in Swedish so we got off where…read morethere were things we wanted to see. On an upper floor there are Swedish jigsaw puzzles and more upscale souvenirs but you have to roam to find them. On a lower floor where the T is, they have cheaper cosmetics including a Swedish brand, Isadora which is supposed to be good. There is an Apotek (pharmacy) on that same floor. One floor below that is a grocery, Hemkoft, which is quite large and pretty reasonably priced and good quality. I found it enjoyable just walking around and seeing products that are different than what you would find in a Macy's in the U.S..

Ikea's Ikea the world over and in it's home country Sweden its no different. Decent furniture at…read morefair prices.

For some reason, I thought the US had a hold on "most ginormous stores omg", but this place is…read morehuge! Like IKEA or something. It's primarily food, with a small section of department store things. To be honest, I'm not sure that it's selection is that much larger than ICA Väst. Maybe twice as many choices of jam, but a lot more of each one. It's a ways out of town, but not too far from Flogsta. From the huge parking lot, feels like a car destination. It's also close to a Systembolaget, so you can stock up on groceries and booze on the same trip.