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CHRISTMAS

When can you buy alcohol in Norway over the 2021 Christmas holidays?

Due to Norway's tight alcohol laws, a trip to Vinmonopolet, to stock up the drinks cabinet can require a bit of planning all year round, let alone over the Christmas holidays. 

Published: 21 December 2021 17:01 CET
Updated: 23 December 2021 15:07 CET
Pictured are bottles of wine on a shelf.
This is when you will be able to buy alcohol in Norway this Christmas. Pictured are bottles of wine on a shelf. Photo by Scott Warman on Unsplash

Picking up a bottle of wine to go with dinner or an aperitif for the starter in Norway isn’t a straightforward process and requires more planning than you might think. 

You can’t just go to the nearest shop or supermarket and pick up a beverage of your choosing because the sale of all alcohol 4.75 percent or stronger is prohibited and restricted to Vinmonopolet or the wine monopoly. 

Additionally, you can’t buy alcohol on Sundays and public holidays and depending on where you purchase your booze, the opening hours will be different. 

This means that you shouldn’t leave it until the last minute to stock up for Christmas; otherwise, you might get a nasty shock or be met with head-dizzying queues. 

And as we are sure you are fully aware by now, there is a nationwide ban on the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants, meaning the only places you can buy alcohol are at supermarkets or wine monopolies. 

Spirits and wines

If you are planning on buying wine and spirits, then you’ll need to be aware of the state-owned wine monopoly’s Christmas opening times. 

READ ALSO: Why the Norwegian government controls the sale of most alcohol

Until December 23rd or what the Norwegians call lille juleaften (little Christmas eve), the wine monopoly’s opening hours will be the same, meaning it will open at 10am and close at 6pm. 

The 23rd will be the last day you can visit the wine monopoly before Christmas, although it is advisable to go before this if you can. Typically, the last possible day before closing for a holiday spells queues and chaos at wine monopolies up and down the country. 

After the 23rd, polet, as the wine monopoly is called for short, will be closed until Monday, December 28th, due to a combination of public holidays and the 27th being a Sunday. 

After that, the business hours will return to normal until New Year’s Eve, when it will close at 3pm. Then on New Year’s Day, the wine monopoly will be closed until January the 3rd, due the 2nd being a Sunday. 

 Beers, ciders and other drinks with less than 4.75 alcohol 

You can only buy weaker alcohol from supermarkets, but on the plus side, they are open for longer than the wine monopoly. On weekdays you can purchase alcohol up until 8pm from supermarkets. On weekends, it’s 6pm.

Opening hours may vary in other parts of the country. Generally, the last normal day of buying alcohol from supermarkets will be the 23rd. However, in some parts of Norway, like Oslo, you will be able to buy alcohol on Christmas eve until 6pm in stores that are open. 

There won’t be any alcohol sales on Christmas day. In addition, alcohol sales won’t be allowed in supermarkets until Monday, December 28th. 

On New Year’s Eve, the sale of alcohol will be restricted until 6pm despite it being a weekday. On New Year’s day, you won’t be able to buy any beer or cider. January 2nd falls on a Sunday meaning you will be unable to buy any alcohol until January 3rd.  

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For members

FOOD AND DRINK

What foods in Norway have become cheaper for shoppers?

Amid rising food costs in Norway, some items have remained relatively stable, or even decreased, in price.

Published: 10 September 2024 12:16 CEST
Updated: 11 September 2024 09:39 CEST
What foods in Norway have become cheaper for shoppers?

According to the latest figures published by Statistics Norway (SSB), food prices increased by 4.5 percent over the past year, outpacing the general inflation rate of 2.6 percent.

READ MORE: How much money do you need to live on a single income in Norway?

However, from July to August, food and non-alcoholic beverage prices actually fell by 1.3 percent, in line with seasonal trends.

With price growth slowing overall, The Local digs deeper into the SSB statistics to identify the foods which have seen the smallest increases in the last year – as well as those tat have gone up the most.

Foods with moderate price growth

Several food items in Norway have seen relatively low price increases over the past year, with growth staying below 3 percent.

Flours and other cereals saw a price increase of 2.6 percent, while pasta products and couscous rose by 2.1 percent.

Beef and veal prices increased by 2.8 percent, closely followed by pork at 3 percent.

Dried, salted, or smoked meats also saw modest growth, rising by 2.3 percent.

Other notable items include confectionery products and alcoholic soft drinks, both of which increased by 2.9 percent, and whole milk, which saw a 2.8 percent rise.

Fresh or chilled fruit and dried fruit and nuts experienced some of the smallest increases at 1.7 percent each.

The foods that became cheaper in the last 12 months

On the other hand, some (though not many) food items have actually become cheaper over the last year.

Pizza and quiche prices dropped by 1.2 percent, while preserved fruit and fruit-based products decreased by 0.5 percent.

Baby food saw a modest decline of 0.7 percent.

The most significant price drop was seen in coffee, which fell by 4.4 percent.

Meats, excluding beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, saw a 2.5 percent reduction, and jams, marmalades, and honey decreased in price by 1.4 percent.

Steepest price hikes

Other foods have seen significant price increases over the past year.

Olive oil saw the steepest rise, jumping by 22.5 percent, while frozen fish followed closely with a 19.1 percent increase.

Chocolate prices also surged, rising by 14.6 percent, and fresh or chilled fish went up by 13.6 percent.

Rice saw a 13.0 percent increase, while eggs and fruit and vegetable juices rose by 11.6 percent and 10.8 percent, respectively.

SSB: Inflation slowed most for imported goods

In August, the overall twelve-month price growth for imported goods in Norway’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 1.9 percent, compared to 4.7 percent for Norwegian goods, excluding energy products.

READ ALSO: Food price rises in Norway three times higher than EU average

According to Espen Kristiansen from Statistics Norway, the price increase for imported goods has been falling more sharply than for Norwegian goods and services since the beginning of the year, though this trend was less pronounced in August compared to July.

Interestingly, furniture prices, which typically decline in August, contributed to higher price growth this year.

While prices for furniture, carpets, and floor coverings usually drop during this period, they increased by 0.7 percent in August 2023, contrasting with a 3.6 percent decrease in the same month last year.

This marks one of the few times since the 1990s that prices for this product group have risen in August.

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