Shopping
Half Tree Hollow supermarket
A good range of groceries, electronics, hardware, clothing and gifts are sold from a cluster of independently owned outlets.
The main shopping hub is centred in Lower Jamestown, and there are a few shops scattered around the country areas. St Helena has no shopping centres, super stores or franchises.
Shop opening times are generally 9-5pm, a few shops close on Wednesday afternoons and a small number open on Sundays.
Click to view shops in Jamestown video
Brands & Prices
Goods are imported from UK and South Africa with familiar British food brands such as Tesco, Iceland etc.
There are at times shortages of certain items, so if you have a particular preference for an item, it is advisable to buy sufficient while stocks last until the next call of the islands cargo supply ship.
Prices of items may be higher than you would find in stores abroad, as they reflect import costs. A can of Heinz Baked Beans costs around £1.20, 1kg plain flour £1.13, 500g Kellogg’s Special K £3.99 and 1 litre of UHT milk £1.18 (fresh is not available). Prices also tend to vary from shop to shop so it is worth shopping around.
To give an indication of what prices may be like you can visit one of the local shops online catalogue
Gallery: a range of St Helena’s shops
Whilst the cost of goods on the island may be more expensive than in stores abroad, and you can find that you spend more on food items on island, generally less is spent in other areas; there is no payment of national insurance, less is spent on travelling and on leisure activities e.g. there are no cinema’s/theatres.
Some shopping tips to note: deliveries of vegetables tend to arrive in town Thursdays and Fridays, bread and rolls often sell out by early afternoon and fresh fruit imports from Cape Town (after arrival of the cargo ship) do not linger.
Miss it, miss out.
However, orders can be made with some merchants for fresh fruit and veg. Weekly salad bag deliveries can also be arranged.
Daily Bread & Fresh Vegetables
Bread is available from The Star supermarket in Jamestown and the Supermarket in Half Tree Hollow, and can also be ordered through local shops around the Island. There is no wide variety of breads and some people prefer to use a bread maker.
Produce, such as potatoes, carrots, bananas, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and beans can be found regularly, as they are grown on the Island.
A&D’s Mini-Mart, Half Tree Hollow
Imported cheddar cheese is available all year round but a few other varieties are only available for a short time after the arrival of the MV Helena.
Fish & Meat
There is a good supply of local meat and fish.
Many shops sell frozen chicken, beef, lamb and pork. There is a butchers in the Market in Jamestown, open only on Fridays and Saturdays that has fresh beef, lamb, goat meat and pork, and they will accept orders for meat.
Solomons supermarket, The Star, also accepts meat orders.
There are fish mongers in Jamestown and the shops also sell fresh fish and fish products.
Water
Whilst over 90% of the islands water supply is treated and is suitable for drinking, some prefer to buy imported bottled water.
Ordering From Overseas
Online shopping is popular. Goods can be delivered to a UK freight agency for forwarding to the Island via sea or air, and they can also make orders on your behalf.
If there is a certain food/dietary/beauty brand or product you can’t do without, it might be wise to bring sufficient supplies along with you.
Sunscreen and mosquito repellent are essential and stocks sometimes run out, so it is advisable to add these to your packing list.
A&D’s Mini-Mart, Half Tree Hollow