Shopping in Cannobio and on Lake Maggiore

Supermarkets and Shops in Cannobio

First things first: In Cannobio, you will find everything for your daily needs in two supermarkets. Right after the entrance to Cannobio (after the tennis courts on the left), just before the public beach (Via Francesco Magistris), lies the "old Carrefour"—a nice but always extremely busy small supermarket in summer with a very good fresh meat counter. Here you will find everything for your daily needs, including a good selection of regional and international wines, fresh fruit, and vegetables. A few hundred meters away on Via Zaccheo Paolo is the "new Carrefour." This one is slightly larger, offers parking spaces as well as an underground parking garage, and is therefore a bit easier to reach by car.
In this Carrefour, you will also find a very good fresh meat counter and everything for your daily needs. At the entrance, there is also a counter with snacks, panini, etc., for a quick bite.
In addition, Cannobio offers many lovely shops by the lake and especially in the old town that invite you to stroll: leather goods, shoes, clothing—but also things that can become important on holiday, such as an optician and several pharmacies.

There is no Lidl or other discounter in Cannobio; the nearest Lidl is located in Verbania (more on that below).

Opening Hours of Shops in Cannobio

Both supermarkets are open continuously, even on Sundays: the Carrefour on Via Zaccheo from Monday to Saturday from 8 AM to 7:30 PM and Sundays from 8 AM to 7 PM; the Carrefour on Via Magistris from Monday to Saturday from 8 AM to 7 PM and Sundays from 8 AM to 1 PM (as of 2026).

The small shops in the old town and on the lake promenade usually follow the standard Italian practice: open in the morning, then a long lunch break from about 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM, and open again in the evening until 7 PM or 7:30 PM. During the season, many shops are also open on Sundays. On Sunday mornings, the entire lake promenade also turns into a market; find more about this on our page about weekly markets at Lake Maggiore.

Outlet Centers Nearby

For larger clothing purchases or as a way to pass the time on a rainy day, the outlet centers Foxtown Outlet in Mendrisio (Ticino/Switzerland) or Vicolungo The Style Outlets (Italy) are great options, to which we have dedicated separate pages in our excursion tips. From Cannobio, you can reach both in a good 75 minutes by car. Both outlets are so huge that you can easily spend an entire day there and spend a month's salary.

Larger Supermarkets and DIY Store in Verbania

If the selection in Cannobio is not enough, Verbania is the place to go, around 30 minutes by car: There are many supermarkets in Verbania where you can do your grocery shopping and other shopping. Particularly noteworthy:
Esselunga (Viale Giuseppe Azari) is a popular supermarket chain in Italy. It is characterized by a large selection of fresh products such as fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish. Esselunga also offers many other products, including household and drugstore items and a large selection of wines and spirits. However, the prices are not necessarily cheap; Esselunga is not a discount store.

If you are looking for a well-known discounter, you will also find it in Verbania: Lidl is represented there (Corso Nazioni Unite) and offers many Italian groceries in addition to the standard range known in Germany and Switzerland. The large self-service counter for fresh baked goods is particularly noteworthy.

Of particular interest to campers: do-it-yourself DIY stores as we know them in Germany and Switzerland are rather rare in Italy. In Verbania, there is a Cipir DIY store (Cipir Utility, Via del Tiro a Segno 13), offering the typical range of lighting, plants, electrics, paints, cleaning products, screws, and small parts. Well-stocked and with fair prices.

And for those who prefer strolling to supermarket shopping: In the old town of Verbania-Intra, many small shops line the streets, and the large weekly market takes place there on Saturdays.