Where to Buy School Supplies

Summer isn’t over yet..but for those of you already on the look-out for that perfect backpack, a difficult-to-find text book and a notebook your ten year old will agree to be seen holding, we’ve got a list to help you find all you need!
18 August 2021

Auchan (Kirchberg & Cloche d’Or)

Auchan is one of the biggest supermarkets in the Grand Duchy and has a section devoted to paper products, pens and the like. In addition, it has a good selection of protective aprons, rain boots in autumn and slippers throughout the year.  If you’re finding the whole school supplies shopping overwhelming or you’re just too busy, you can use Auchan’s personal shopping service (usually available until mid-September); just hand them your list, tell them your budget and they’ll get it done …you can’t beat that!

Address: 5 rue Alphonse Weicker, L-2721 Luxembourg (Kirchberg); Rue Friedrich Wilhelm Raifeisen, 2557 Luxembourg (Cloche d’Or)
Hours: Mon-Sat 8am to 8pm/ Except Friday which is 8am to 9pm
Contact:  43 77 43 1 (Kirchberg and Cloche d’Or)
Website

La Belle Etoile: Cactus

Among other things, Cactus is well loved for rain gear – rubber rain trousers and rain jackets – especially when it’s tipping down and you’re kid’s teacher is going to do nothing but judge you so you don’t have time for Amazon. Also, if you can find one- helpful employees will make sure that one shopping trip is enough to tick off everything on your school supply list. 

Cactus is a supermarket standby, which stocks various supplies with the added advantage that they can be found up and down the country. Find your local Cactus supermarket here.

Address: route d’Arlon, L-8050 Bertrange
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 8am to 8pm , Friday: 8am to 9pm, Saturday: 8am to 8pm, some locations open on Sundays
Contact: 28 28 90 02
Website

City Concorde: Cora

Cora is also a place where you will be well taken care of if you simply hand your list to a sales person. Especially if it is in Luxembourgish….and your kid cannot yet read so cannot prove his worth as a translator.

Address: 80 route de Longwy, L-8060 Bertrange
Hours: Monday to Thursday: 8am – 8pm/  Friday 8am – 9pm / Saturday 8am – 8 pm
Contact: 45 02 24
Website

AVA

Ok- so this place can be exorbitantly expensive.  No question about it. However- you can get cool supplies for the kids while you pick up your own crafty stuff: scrapbooking supplies or perhaps handmade paper is more your thing. Either way- there’s lots of pretty things to distract you and get you excited for whatever holiday is next.

Address: Rue du Brill 18-22L-3898 Foetz; Route de Luxembourg 255L-3254 Bettembourg
Hours: Monday-Friday: 9am to 6:30pm / Saturday: 9am to 6pm / closed Sunday
Contact: 40 06 79
Website

Foetz: Cora

Have we mentioned that this fantastic store is OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK?!!!! Every. Single. Day. Also you can get some great values so see here for the 2020 back-to-school specials!

Address: 11 Rue du Brill, 3898 Foetz
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 8:30am to 8pm /  Friday: 9am to 9pm/ Saturday: 8am to 8pm / Sunday: 8am to 1pm
Contact: 26 17 01
Website

Action Echtnernach

This one gets rave reviews from parents for it’s great prices. Also another one that’s open seven days a week and as an added bonus, you can have a lie in on Sunday and still tick some things off your to-do list in the afternoon.

If  Echternach isn’t convenient, there are various locations across Luxembourg. Just check the hours for the other stores, as not all locations are open on Sunday. 

Address:121 Route de Luxembourg, 6562 Echternach 
Hours: Monday to Saturday: 9am to 7pm /  Sunday: 1pm to 6pm
Contact: 22 08 81 976
Website

TRAFIC

We’ve never been but people love this place! It’s definitely on our list of places to try.

Address: 32 Rue de l’Industrie, 8069 Bertrange
Hours: Monday to Saturday: 9:30am to 6:30pm /  Sunday:  9am to 1pm
Contact: 26 11 99 07
Website

HEMA

Often referred to as the ‘Ikea-in-town,’ HEMA has the most adorable paper products at just-as-adorable prices! Stickers, washi tapes, pens and pencils, crayons, markers and notebooks; you name it, Hema has it. It has other locations in Luxembourg: Mersch, Huldange. You can also shop online and have items delivered to your nearest Hema.

Address: 45 Avenue de la Gare, 1611 Luxembourg
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9am to  7pm
Contact: 26 18 40
Website

ALDI

Although quite an unexpected entry, some parents swear by it. And with its Sunday openings, many locations and friendly prices, it is easy to understand why. Seeing is believing!

Address: Bascharage, Bertrange, Foetz, Ingeldorf, Marnach, Mersch, Dudelange, Differdange, Esch-sur-Alzette, Junglingster, Sandweiler and more. Click here for a full list of individual addresses and to confirm weekly opening times. 
General Hours: Mon-Thu: 8:30am to 7pm  Fri: 8:30am to 8pm  Sat: 8:30am to 7pm  Sun: 9am to 1pm 

STATIONERY SHOPS

In the past, there were many more smaller and locally owned stationary shops, however, the problem is always that the big chains sadly squeeze them out by offering lower prices and extended hours. There are still a few though, to get your specialist items and something a bit different.

Ernster

THE stationary shop in the Duchy for all your school needs (and you can pick up some great books at their English bookshop too). A bit pricer than the chains, but they will have all you need and if not, you can order it in. They know all about special school supplies, so you might even be able to give them your list (in Luxembourgish and French, woohoo!) and they could pull it all together. A life-saver. You can also pick up a copy of CSL’s 2020 Guide to Public and Private Education, which includes everything you need to know about education in Luxembourg along with articles on raising multilingual children, introducing kids to science and much more! 

Address: English bookstore in the city centre – 4 Rue de la Reine, 2418 Luxembourg
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9am to 6:30pm/ Closed Sunday

Address: Belle Etoile, route d’Arlon, Bertrange
Hours: Mon-Thu: 9am to 8pm , Fri: 9am to 9pm, Sat: 9am to 7pm / Closed Sunday

Address: City Concorde – 80 route de Longwy, Bertrange
Hours: Mon-Thu: 9am to 8pm, Fri: 9am to 9pm, Sat: 9am to 7pm / Closed Sunday

Address: Bascharage – 6 avenue de Luxembourg (Cactus Bascharage), Bascharage
Hours: Mon-Thu: 9am to 8pm, Fri: 9am to 9pm, Sat: 9am to 7pm / Closed Sunday
Website

Librairie Française

Although presented as a bookshop with a large selection of law books, this 35-year-old institution is much more. School books, activity books and paper products represent just a part of their offer.

Address: 2-4 rue Beck, L-1222 Luxembourg
Hours: Mon: 11am to 6pm, Tue-Sat: 9:30am to 6:30pm
Contact: +352 22 00 67

Librairie des Lycées

We love this place. The bookshop is very well-furnished with school books if, however, you cannot find what you’re looking for, they are always happy to order it for you.

Address: 30 Avenue Victor Hugo, L-1750 Luxembourg
Hours: Mon-Fri: 7:15am to 12:30pm and 1:15pm to 6pm / Sat: 9am to 12 pm / closed Sunday
Contact: +352 227983
Website

Rischette

Apart from having ˝everything˝, as a mother put is, the staff is very nice as well. Although a bit far away, it is worth paying a visit.

Address: 4, route de Luxembourg, L-6130 Junglinster
Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 12pm  and 1:45pm to 6pm , Sat : 9am to 12pm and 1:45pm to 6pm
Contact: 78 83 31
Website

OVER THE BORDER

Sometimes a bit of a drive is well worth it, especially if coupled with nice weather and additional grocery or, why not, shoe shopping. Although maybe not as easy this year with covid restrictions! Be sure to check any measures before crossing the border!

Rofu

Aha. If you want to get really clever, pop across the Lux/German border to Perl and pick up everything you need, with more choice than most places in Luxembourg and at much better prices. A trek that pays for itself if you combine it with grocery shopping across the way (although not if you get carried away at Rofu and buy all the toys that your kids nag you to get).

Address: Bahnhofstr. 70, 66706 Perl; 17, 54294 Trier
Hours: Mon-Fri 9pm to 7 pm, Sat 9am to 6pm
Contact: +49 6867 912959
Website

ONLINE SHOPS

There are also many online solutions for when your children want something very specific, special or different.

Amazon

The most obvious choice, with a huge selection and a multi-language option. Some items will be cheaper on different sites, but remember to add in shipping charges unless you have Amazon Prime. It’s worth your time browsing through the different stores to gain some bargains.

www.amazon.co.uk
www.amazon.com
www.amazon.fr
www.amazon.de

and many more

Muji

The Japanese retailer of furniture, fashion and electronics, among others, has its nearest shop in Frankfurt, Paris and Köln. Unless you plan a visit there, www.muji.com is your safest bet for a high-quality, minimalistic-design product.

There are loads more options to equip your schooler with appropriate gear, like Chapier Majuscule and Librairie Diderich (you can also hand them a list and they’ll gather the supplies).  

After all that fun shopping, most probably with your schooler(s) tagging along, don’t forget about the ones even less fortunate than you. The Red Cross and Foyer St Antoine are always grateful for school supplies at the beginning of each school year.

Did we miss your favourite? Let us in on your secret! Sharpen those pencils and start checking things off your list! 

Reader Tips:

“Also Samkats in Echternach. Super friendly, English speaking for us Expats that have trouble deciphering the list and very helpful.”