Filled to the brim with daily items ranging from groceries, snack foods and confectionery, to soft drinks, spirits and tobacco, as well as cleaning and laundry products and toiletries, there’s no better place on the island where you can get your daily needs and much more, than a convenience store. Acting as a supplement to larger supermarkets and stores, it comes as no surprise that they can be found in every corner of every town and village.   Product offerings Food items Locally, convenience establishments are highly stocked with both food products, as well as non-food products, but perhaps one of the primary reasons why someone would visit this type of shop is in order to purchase daily needs like milk and bread. All stores have large fridges that contain dairy products, including prepackaged cheese and deli meats, as well as country-specific items such as Russian kefir and specialised items like yoghurt probiotics. These fridges are also filled with cold, soft drinks, juices and other beverages. Another common item found in abundance is bread. Some types of bread are brought parbaked from a local bakery, whereas others are brought ready to be sold.      Some larger convenience stores may also have a cheese and deli counter featuring both international and local products. From tangy, hard cheeses to the freshest, milky varieties like rikotta and cottage cheese, at this counter you’ll be able to find anything you need for that cheeseboard you’re preparing for tonight’s guests or to add to a special recipe. A convenience shop’s deli selection is also vast and typically consists of different types of hams, prosciuttos, roasts, sausages and cuts of bacon. Alongside these products, you may also find items like olives, sun-dried tomatoes, preserves like capers and bell peppers, all integral components for creating tasty antipasti and nibbles before your lunch or dinner. These products are usually purchased by weight and in the case of cheeses, you can request to have it cut into one piece, in slices or you may even ask to have a piece grated. In some stores, you can make your own made-to-order sandwich by selecting your preferred type of bread, cold cut and cheese right from the shop’s counter.   One thing that you certainly cannot miss in this type of shop is the confectionery and sweet products. From biscuits and cookies to sweets, confections and ice-cream multipacks, a convenience store is every sweet lover’s paradise. If you’re looking for ingredients to bake a dessert, these can also be found here. Other dried products consist of pasta, rice and couscous, different kinds of flours, sauces and condiments, as well as baby items like jarred baby food. Furthermore, frozen items like vegetables or meat may also be available.   Non-food items Not everything sold at a convenience store is related to food. Serving as one-stop-shop for all your needs, a limited selection of toiletries, hygiene and sanitary products are also on hand, such as shampoos and body washes, as well as toilet paper. The same applies to cleaning products and items that help you keep your home sparkling clean like brooms, spades and dusters. Lastly, other items that you may find are alcohol, cigarettes, as well as tobacco and tobacco products like cigarette papers, pipe tobacco and even e-liquid for e-cigarettes and vaporisers. Local and international wines, spirits and other alcoholic beverages are available, as well as an assortment of beers. Cigarettes can be either bought over the counter or via the cigarette machine. And if the shop is truly large, you may be able to find stationery and some crockery items, magazines and newspapers.     Is a convenience shop a supermarket? The variety of products on offer at a convenience store is so vast and varied that you might think that it is similar to a supermarket. But there are some distinct and stark differences between the two. Price is one of them. It is a well-known fact that prices tend to be far higher at the convenience store mainly due to the fact that unlike supermarkets, convenience stores have a smaller inventory so they tend to spike up prices. In addition, the variety of items on offer might be impressive, yet this does not surpass what is available at a proper supermarket. Product packaging is another difference, since contrary to supermarkets, here you’ll find the smaller versions of items, so forget about stocking up on that jumbo box of cereal you saw earlier on at the supermarket. In all likelihood, it won’t be on offer at the convenience shop.