I found Erlangen Arcaden a great place to find what I was looking for. I went looking in DM, in the…read morecity centre, for the moisturiser I usually use and couldn't find it. So, I went to the DM in the Arcaden and found it there. I also grabbed a few bits and pieces from other shops while I was there, it was very convenient.

If you live in or near a city that has a "arcaden" mall, then you're basically forced to go there…read more Why? Because these huge places just kill the local mom&pop stores by relocating the main shopping mile indoors, with AC & WiFi. Sure, larger cities can survive the process of having their many shopping mile relocated, but smaller ones? Not really. The assortment of stores is pretty much the same in every location, they have their mix of brands & food chains without anything really appealing. Good if you're a fan of malls, bad if you like choice or local flavour. On a plus side, they just made the place dog friendly, by adding water & food bowls in the basement - which i've never seen with food or water in them. Way to go!

Just buy it! All of…read moreyou sports fans out there - this is the place to be (and shop!) The entire back consists of rows and rows of shoe boxes piled on top of each other. The prices range from 25 - 150€, but if you're lucky enough to have small feet (anything up to Euro size 38), you get the most fantastic shoes at ridiculously cheap prices. I wish my feet were smaller :( But apart from shoes, there's plenty of clothes for running, workout, basketball, football, etc., some at normal prices, some really cheap (special deals) - but all of them far less expensive than what you would usually pay for Nike stuff. Right in front of the cash desks, there's another row of cheap accessories, from drinking bottles to sports bags - really cool and especially neat if you're looking for small gifts to take home. For all of you who live close-by, make sure to stop by every once in a while instead of coming here once in order to buy everything. The prices and products change quite often, so you might be lucky one week and leave empty-handed the next. Bottom line: * Perfect for all sports lovers * Cool sports clothes and shoes at relatively cheap prices * Make sure to check this place out every once in a while * If you have small feet...I hate you! ;)

Second hand - cheap, smart, and for a good cause!…read more Nice second hand shops are still rare in Germany, and plenty of my friends here would rather pay 300€ on a new shirt than buy the same one for 30€ - knowing that it belonged to someone else. I could never understand their reluctancy, seeing as even "new" shirts have been tried on several times in fitting rooms, and you can always just wash your clothes after buying them... Oh well, more left for me then! Vinty's is a recently opened second hand store in Erlangen, and the entire concept is simply brilliant! It's situated in the Friedrichsstraße, just a few metres off the main road, in a huge 350m² large shop consisting of just one room packed with clothes rails full of clothes. And there's a small coffee bar serving coffee and tea. The clothes themselves range from fancy dress, proper "retro" vintage clothes (60s, anyone?), casual clothes, kids clothes, shoes, accessoires and many more, and can be bougth at relatively cheap prices. You can also donate your clothes, as long as they are in good condition! Which leads us to the best part: Not only does second hand fashion make good economical and ecological sense, but it's all in the name of charity as well. The philosophy is built on people volunteering their time and clothes, and the proceeds go directly to development projects all around the world. Bottom line: * Huge second hand shop packed with clothes * Cheap, huge variety, and friendly staff * All for a good cause * Definitely one of my favourite new shopping spots!!