Hemköp — Supermarket in Norrmalm, Stockholm

This is a branch of Hemköp, sitting on Klarabergsgatan in Norrmalm, close enough to the city centre that it fills up at the busy middle of the day. It is a big, well-organised supermarket rather than a small corner shop, and you notice the size first: aisles that carry everything you need to eat, drink and stock up on.

The sushi is the reason to come if it is late. It is still there when most other places have shut for the night, which makes it the practical answer to a hungry evening in this part of town. The delicatessen counter is the other stop worth making, staffed by people who will talk you through the meat, fish and deli items rather than leaving you to guess.

The food and salad bars are where a quick meal comes together, and the fresh produce section holds a solid range of vegetables and fruit. There is a manual fish counter as well. Self-scan checkouts are there if you want to pay and be gone; the tills otherwise run the usual way.

Expect to pay a little more than at other grocery stores, and know that organic products sit at the top of the price ladder here. The other thing to plan for is the layout: the shop sits below street level, on the floor down from the entrance, and finding your way in from the building takes a moment the first time. Crowding at central peak times is the third piece of friction.

Once you are inside, the range covers a full weekly shop as well as a single meal, so it works whether you are provisioning an apartment or just collecting dinner.