this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2025
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I was talking to a friend and complaining that the nearest grocery store is 3km from me, he says that Europeans consider that a reasonable distance to the store and I'm just being lazy.

I don't have a car, I don't have a bike, and the bus only comes by every four hours. Am I being unreasonable for not wanting to carry groceries 3km in 30C weather, or is my friend full of shit? Neither of us have been to Europe.

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[–] HatchetHaro@pawb.social 5 points 1 day ago

Not European, but most people in my city would say "3 minutes" as they'd live directly above a mall. I live somewhere quieter, so it's about 12 minutes for me to the closest supermarket, and 4 more if I want to go for cheaper groceries, hella restaurants and food stalls, and boba.

When I was staying in Berlin, the closest Lidl was a 15-minute walk away.

[–] Apocalypteroid@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

My nearest store is about 3km away and I will usually walk there unless I'm picking up anything especially heavy or bulky.

[–] lietuva@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Vilnius, Lithuania. 3 different shops 5 min walk from home. And its not even high density urban area. I shop almost every day

[–] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 5 points 1 day ago

About 500m or, if I want to go to a larger supermarket, about 2km.

[–] Ton@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Netherlands, Rotterdam. 4 supermarkets within walking distance. 1 less than 10 minutes, 3 less than 5.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 5 points 1 day ago

Aussie, but the strip with a butcher, grocer and IGA is about 60m away, if i want more supermarkety goods i'll hop on my pushbike or walk the 1.4km to Europa

[–] randombullet@programming.dev 5 points 19 hours ago

My day to day shopping is 600-800m away.

My specialty store is 1.1km.

3km is a bit too far for me.

The most I've ever willing walked for groceries is 1.5km

[–] hansolo@sh.itjust.works 5 points 19 hours ago

I have a small shop with basics and a seasonal farm stand about 400 meters from me and I walk that for anything I need from there, or another larger but still small shop another 300m past the first one. But selection is limited.

There's a gross supermarket about 2km away, and I wouldn't object to walking that, but I don't think I ever have. In the same amount of time I could drive 4km to the good supermarket or large green market and get better products. I regularly go for 5-7km runs, often past the gross supermarket, so it's more so that if I need something from a supermarket, I would rather do a full shopping trip, or stop at the store or market on the way home from work.

[–] siph@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I have several grocery stores of different chains in my vicinity, in a 3km radius I could probably choose between 10+ locations (I just checked after posting: There are at least 18 grocery stores within that range and some options like farmer markets not listed). I only go to the closest ones (~500m) by foot, for most things further away I take my bike.

[–] marius@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago

700m for one and 1000 for another one. I ususally choose just based in my mood. They are basically the same

The nearest to me is super run down and gross with people doing drugs in the parking lot, and its 2.7km from me. Instead I end up going to a nice one in a different part of town just over 9km away. Obviously driving is the only option for either.

[–] AccountMaker@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 day ago

From Serbia, I have a supermarket about 200m from my apartment and a mall with a huge supermarket about 20 mins away on foot. In my city at least, you're rarely more than 15 mins away by foot from a supermarket, they're everywhere.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Nearest store 8 min walk. The one i perfer, 20 min biking and 10km away. Living on the countryside

[–] glorkon@lemmy.world 4 points 19 hours ago

I live in Berlin. I can go shopping for groceries, head back home, cook a meal using those groceries and eat within one hour of home office lunch break.

[–] KarfiolosHus@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 18 hours ago

Outskirts of Budapest, closest supermarket is bit more than 1.5 km, so I did my daily shopping when I walked the dog. I would guess 45 min round trip.

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago

Europeans

Huge diversity.

I have 1km and there are 3 different supermarkets, and I go there either by car or by bicycle.

Friends who live in Sweden have 10km to the nearest supermarket and then 50 km to the next one.

[–] lucg@lemmy.world 4 points 17 hours ago

Used to be 5km where I grew up in the Netherlands, nowadays living in Germany it's 1km but uphill (don't have those in NL!). In either case I don't want to walk it and there's not a chance I would if it's 30 degrees out: that temperature means it's probably in a month of the year where I burn within 10-20 minutes. I'd have to put on sunscreen for going to the store! They better have a sandy beach aisle

[–] urandom@lemmy.world 4 points 17 hours ago

About 1km one-way. I usually walk

[–] viking@infosec.pub 4 points 1 day ago

I don't live in Europe anymore, but it was about 2.5km one way. There was a closer one, but from a chain I absolutely hated, so there I'd only pick up heavy or bulky stuff, like drinks, toilet paper etc.

[–] bvoigtlaender@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago

500m to the cheap one and 750m to the one with the bigger selection. I walk or bike there. 3km would be too much for me i think. I would take the bus or train as i don’t have a car either, but doesn’t sound like fun.

[–] artifex@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’m in the US (and in FL no less so it’s routinely 30-38C/80-100F). I moved to my specific house, among other reasons, because it’s about 250M/a quarter mile from a grocery store. I walk there 2x/week and carry back on average about 10kg/20-25 lbs of groceries. Lots of others in my neighborhood do the same, but most of Florida is not built for walking which is incredibly disappointing.

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[–] foggianism@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I have 5 supermarkets to choose from within a 10 min walking distance

[–] Asfalttikyntaja@sopuli.xyz 4 points 19 hours ago

My day to day walking to grocery stores is something like one kilometer. Bus goes every ten or fifteen minutes near my home. I don’t like biking that’s why I decided to walk. Every now and then I walk to the city, which is 5 km from my home, I don’t think it’s too far, but if I go to shopping there I usually come back with a bus.

[–] Noobnarski@lemmy.world 4 points 19 hours ago

The closest grocery store/supermarket is around 1km away from my house and a few others are just slightly further away. I could walk there, but I have better ways to use my time, so I just go with my bike.

The pannier bags also enable me to buy heavy stuff without having to lift it the whole way.

[–] VonReposti@feddit.dk 4 points 1 day ago

About 60m. 30 if I cut across the courtyard. It almost takes me longer taking the stairs down from 4th than walking the rest of the way.

[–] OmegaLemmy@discuss.online 4 points 19 hours ago
[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (7 children)

500m to a small one, 1.2 to a fairly sized supermarket, some 3 km to a hypermarket.

Walking to the hypermarket and back is something I used to do quite frequently with a friend or another, but it is a slight chore, and I wouldn't enjoy going in -25C.

Usually if I have to walk I'll go to the supermarket, 1.2km is a very reasonable distance to walk.

Or 500m for some quick stuffs like a few beers or tobacco from the closest small store

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[–] nokturne213@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 day ago

I am in the states, my only non-Walmart grocery store is 0.5km and before my bike was stolen I used to ride there for groceries quite often. I rarely walk it, but I also hike ~9km a day with my dog.

I am in New Mexico and our temps are more like 36-39c. I am trying to get out of my truck more.

[–] peaches@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

I have a neighbourhood small shop at 5 min from me. But I usually go to bigger ones 30 min or a bit more so I can get some exercise and enjoy nature and fresh air.

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

About 10 to 15 minutes walk depending on where you want to shop

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 4 points 18 hours ago

The closest one to me is about 1km, I walk there if I don't have to get too much stuff. 3km? I don't know. In nice weather maybe, if I'm not in a hurry.

[–] Xande@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I'm in the glorious position that I have to cross the road once to get to the baker that is a supermarket too, another road crossing and I'm at the butcher. From my door to the bakery, to the butcher and back home... 200m.

The next Aldi, Tedi and REWE is about a kilometer away.

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[–] Alchalide@lemmy.world 3 points 19 hours ago
[–] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 1 day ago

I have several stores I frequently visit here, from 300 to 1500 meters away. If I need something from further away I just jump into the car or on my bike. It's not the distance that keeps me from it, I walk about 10 kilometers a day with my dogs and friends. I just don't want to walk an hour to get groceries, that's boring as hell.

[–] Green_Mouse@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I have a bunch of medium and small shops very close to my house, a market, and a few supermarkets about 30-40 minutes away.

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Obligatory "I'm not European" but have quite a few online friends from euro land that I yak with regularly.

Remember their grocery shopping habits are (typically) much different than Americans. Where US shoppers may go once every week or two, and make large bulk purchases to load into their car, it's more common there to stop by a market every day or two on the way home from work or another errand, just to get a single light bag that is enough for the next couple meals. "Carrying home groceries" for a km or two is less of a chore if it's not 25kg of groceries at a time.

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[–] oktoberpaard@feddit.nl 3 points 1 day ago

In your situation I would probably order my weekly groceries online, if that was an option. I would still visit the grocery store occasionally, in which case I would walk and/or go by bus. Well, in reality I would probably own a bike, but that also depends on your infrastructure over there. I’ve never lived that far from the nearest grocery store, though. There are many options here within that radius, the nearest ones being basically next door.

[–] Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago

Usually walk once a week to a grocery store 2.25 km away to stock up, but I'll supplement that with a trip every other day to the smaller grocery store 0.5 km away. I don't own a car and walk/scooter most places and I'd say that's a decent trek. I mostly walk it instead of taking my scooter because I go with my girlfriend and we'll talk, also can carry more back, and it gets us our steps which we like to track.

If it was just me and it was 30C I'd probably just take my scooter or the bus which is decent for getting there most times.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

The nearest store is about 200 m away, or about 30–40 seconds away by bike. 🤷‍♂️

3 km is quite the distance to carry a big load of groceries in 30°C weather, yes indeed. That's not being lazy.

[–] Wutchilli@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago

About 1,5 km for daily things and for more i take the bike vor public transport

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

500 meters to the more expensive one in my small "sister" village, and around 3km to the bigger ones in the main village (where I buy bulk every few weeks using the car).

[–] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

If it is more than 1 km, I bike. Not that it is too much to walk but it is too much to carry heavy bags.

[–] djmikeale@feddit.dk 3 points 1 day ago

80 meters lol. I've lived in cities, where it's always been less than 700 meters.

[–] fushuan@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 day ago

210m for the medium sized store, 650 for the farther store. I wouldn't walk more than that, its either car or bus for bigger ones.

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