Looking to Lower Your Grocery Bill? Go to Gyomu! | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

Looking to Lower Your Grocery Bill? Go to Gyomu!

By Guidable Writers Apr 10, 2017

Have you recently arrived in Japan and find yourself having difficulty finding reasonably priced food?

Have you been here awhile and are looking to cut back on your grocery bill?

Perhaps you have been researching and considering moving to Japan but you are concerned that the living expenses may be high?

There is secret about grocery shopping that you must learn!

“Gyomusupa” or the “Gyomu” supermarkets are a great place to shop for your own personal groceries and especially any home parties you may decide to have.

So what is “Gyomusupa”?

“Gyomu” is a Japanese word meaning “commercial”. “Gyomusupa” is the commercial supermarket. This is where restaurants and other commercial institutions go to get their groceries. There are a few reasons to check out the “Gyomusupa” for your personal and party grocery needs.

First of all shopping “Gyomu” allows you to get items for the lowest price possible. Because most of those who shop here will be shopping for resale purposes, the prices are often times a fraction that of those in other shops. This is true for items from vegetables and fruits to meats and condiments. For example, carrots are normally 100 yen to 200 yen for a packet of three. However, at “gyomu” you can usually get them for less than 100 yen and sometimes you can get a packet with much more than three for a similar price. You can also get large packages of meat for around 500 yen each. This is good for your own personal use as well as for when you enjoy parties with you friends to keep cost down.

In addition, Gyomu sells a larger variety of frozen goods than any other supermarket in Japan. You can get many kinds of vegetables, meats, and other foods frozen for a reasonable price. One item that is found at Gyomu that you must try is the frozen desserts.  You can buy frozen New York Cheesecake and Apple pie among other desserts. You may wonder about the quality but I have been to many events where the cheesecake and apple pie were a hit and no one could guess that they were from the commercial supermarket.

If you are looking to lower your grocery bill or prepare for a large home party begin by searching for “Gyomu supermarket” or ″業務スーパー″ online or asking your thrifty friend if they know where one can be found.