12 of the best independent shops in Copenhagen

From sleek interior stores to modern perfumiers and quirky sex shops, the Danish capital has no shortage of unusual shopping opportunities. Inspired by Keith Haring’s Pop Shop, which the artist saw as a shop, art work and statement of practice in one, David Shrigley has had his little Shrig Shop in the French Quarter of Copenhagen since 2021, run with his longtime Danish gallery partner Nicolai Wallner. It’s a provocative art show, a gallery space, and a shop in one: the words To Hell With Everything are written in pink neon on the window and set the tone as you enter. Inside, it’s wall-to-wall irreverent prints, pin badges, T-shirts, bags and postcards, with images of ducklings and frogs, walruses, raccoons and rubbish bins.

Tullinsgade 3. Copenhagen is a sex-positive city – Denmark was the first country to legalise porn back in 1969 – and at contemporary sex shop Peech the team firmly believe that buying sex toys should not be embarrassing. Opened in 2021 as an antidote to the stereotypical dark-and-seedy sex shop, its Nørrebro store is colourful and unthreatening, with helpful staff keen to make sure you feel comfortable and safe – a very Copenhagen take on the genre.

Guldbergsgade 25. Crime Passionnel, off atmospheric Magstræde on a little cobbled street, stocks a carefully curated, deliberately offbeat selection of perfume. Want to smell like the battle of Trafalgar? Or, perhaps, a biscuit? Or maybe you’re trying to track down a perfume that brings together the exact scent of maple syrup, pancakes and American diner coffee? Run by a passionate team, with walls lined with niche perfumes from South Korea, France, Italy and England, it’s a world away from a department store perfume hall.

Hyskenstræde 14. There are numerous tasteful, oatmeal/beige-themed ceramics shops in the city and they’re all worth a visit, but Studio Arhøj’s multi-coloured wonderland of curvaceous shapes, dripping glazes and bubbly glass is something else. Watch the glassblowers at work in the studio and browse shelves stacked with glassware, tableware, candle holders and vases decorated with googly-eye motifs and Mr Men-like characters. Owner Anders Arhøj has a graphic design background, has worked as a children’s book illustrator, and used to live in Japan, hence the style where Japanese ceramic techniques meet a playful, childlike world. Bonus: the staff are well versed in wrapping fragile items for international transit.

Skindergade 7. Prik is a portal back to a 1970s childhood, selling everything from little paper windmills that swirl in a breeze to tiny plastic animals, knitted dolls, doll houses, toy cars and tiny slips of red plastic fish that curl up in your hand and tell your fortune. Run by Annette for the past 17 years, the treasure trove of a shop is packed to the rafters with dressing-up clothes and bags, room decorations and toys, with something at every price, for every child. It’s not all retro – there are new toys and handmade toys as well – but the trip down memory lane makes it extra fun.

Gammel Kongevej 127, Frederiksberg. Putting the fun – and female – back into sneaker shops is Naked. Copenhagen’s premier destination for women who love trainers and streetwear has been around since 2004. Its racks hold seemingly every colour of Adidas Gazelles and Sambas, alongside exclusive limited releases from the likes of Salomon, Asics, New Balance and Nike. It also carries a curated selection of sportswear and clothes from brands including Ganni and Carhartt, and has coffee table books to browse.

Store Regnegade 2. Louise Roe’s beautiful, gallery-like store is minimalist, chic, earth-toned and just as dazzling as her interior design. The boutique – which has a cafe-bar – is a bijou exhibition of champagne coupes, tables topped with discs of grey marble, perfectly turned sculptural wooden chairs and mugs with exaggerated handles. While you couldn’t describe the larger items as an impulse buy, the ceramics and occasional lighting could fit in hand luggage and bring that sense of Danish calm back home. The cafe is lit with parchment-coloured globe candles, and serves coffee in generous mugs accompanied by buns from superstar local bakery Juno.

Vognmagergade 9. Walk through a little courtyard behind Nørreport station and step back into the 1900s at Sømods Bolcher, which has been making artisanal boiled sweets since 1891. The tiny factory behind the shop is at work twisting and pulling colourful ropes of sugar into sweet treats every day – it’s fun to watch the sweet-makers at work. The boiled sweets come in a rainbow of flavours, from the Danish favourite, liquorice, to pear, sherbert and rhubarb. Buy them in a pre-mixed bag, by the lollipop or in a mix of your choice – they’re all natural, following an age-old recipe.

Nørregade 36B. The best place to go vintage shopping is a Danish flea market. Outside the main flea-market season (April to October), Lidkøb is your next best bet. In a former storage warehouse in Østerbro (and easy to reach by metro), it’s a riotous jumble sale of fashion and homewares where you never know what you may find. A new Rotate dress with the tags in? A perfect unworn pair of Converse? Old Icelandic sweaters, Iittala glasses, a foot spa or a chocolate fountain could also be there. It’s not always cheap – this is Copenhagen after all – but there is a cafe for tired partners and friends.