Shopping in Reykjavik
Updated · BootsnAll
Iceland is known for having some of the most forward-thinking avante garde designers in Europe, most of whom seem to live in Reykjavik, the country’s cosmopolitan capital. The city’s residents are quite fashionable, even when bundled up for the winter, and fashionistas will find no shortage of designers duds to take home. Here’s the scoop on shopping in Reykjavik.
Laugavegur Street
Laugavegur is Reykjavik’s main shopping drag. It runs down the center of the city and is home to boutique offering everything from swanky dresses and sky-high heels to more modest choices. There’s also several high-quality souvenir shops that sell traditional handmade goods like knitted sweaters and hats.
Kolaportið
The Kolaportið flea market offers an eclectic mish-mash of goods ranging from Icelandic sweaters to vintage clothes and antique furniture to used housewares, toys, games, books, and movies, all at the best prices in the city. There’s also an onsite food market where you can pick up some delicacies like Hákarl, fermented shark meat. Kolaportið is still in the old customs house at Tryggvagata 19, open Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm, with more than 50 vendors. A new operator, Götubiti, took over running the market in 2025 on a five-year contract with the city and plans to add restaurants, a cafe and bar and a play area for kids (Reykjavík Grapevine).
Thorvaldsens Bazaar
Philanthropic types should head to Thorvaldsens Bazaar at Austurstræti 4 for their knitted goods. The shop, one of the oldest in Reykjavik, has been run by volunteers from the Thorvaldsens Society since 1901 and sells goods made and donated by its members. Proceeds go to the society’s charity work, which includes support for children and teenagers with diabetes. It’s open weekdays from 10am to 6pm and Saturdays from 11am to 3pm.
Smáralind and Kringlan
Smáralind and Kringlan are the capital area’s two big shopping centers. Kringlan, the largest mall in Reykjavik itself, is served directly by buses 1, 3, 4 and 6 and has more than 120 shops and over 20 places to eat. Smáralind, in neighboring Kópavogur, is the largest shopping center in Iceland, with about 100 shops and businesses on three floors, including international fashion brands, a hypermarket and a cinema.
Photo by Luc Van Braekel