Shopping in Nauru

Groceries and everyday goods are mainly bought through supermarkets and general stores in Nauru. Capelle & Partner operates 11 outlets and lists more than 1,000 grocery items. Eigigu Supermarket is another listed supermarket, while Naoero Postal Services Corporation retail stores sell stationery, office supplies and everyday essentials. Availability depends strongly on imports. The Department of Environment, Management and Climate Change also points to frequently imported goods and the preservation of local staple food trees, but food and nutrition questions are separate from the shopping process. Capelle’s online catalogue includes more than 200 grocery products as well as cleaning products, toiletries and health and wellbeing items. Orders require a smartphone or computer, online banking and a bank transfer. The minimum order is $50, with standard delivery or pickup available for catalogue items. Prices and stock can change, and there is no verified general nationwide delivery or returns guarantee. Clothing and technology have less clearly documented local specialist supply. General retail, import orders and freight channels may provide functional alternatives, but brands, sizes, stock levels and exchange policies should be confirmed for each purchase. Naoero Postal Services Corporation provides eParcel, parcel delivery, customs clearance, warehousing, freight forwarding and heavy-cargo services from Menen Oe in Menen District. Freight costs and delivery times vary by item, origin, transport connection and customs processing. The Naoero Customs Service may admit postal goods worth up to AUD 200 without duty, subject to its decision. Duty may be payable before release, and a parcel notification may help determine the customs value. Customs charges include a $10 entry fee and another $10 if the parcel is not collected more than 10 working days after lodgement. Current permits and prohibited-import rules apply to the specific item. Direct imports of washing machines and air conditioners from the People’s Republic of China or Hong Kong are prohibited under the cited 2016 regulations, with an exception for direct imports from Australia or New Zealand; current Customs requirements should still be checked. The Australian dollar is legal tender in Nauru. Government information identifies cash, credit cards and debit cards as accepted payment methods, but foreign-exchange services at sales points can be difficult. CBA Naoero operates agencies in Aiwo and Ewa. The bank offers fee-free over-the-counter deposits and withdrawals, Streamline Basic, NetBank and a Debit Mastercard; merchant facilities and some Visa Debit services are available only to selected customers. Identification is required. Agency hours are Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 in Aiwo and from 11:00 to 17:00 in Ewa. A debit card can be collected after about 15 days, and a card not collected after eight weeks may be destroyed. An online checkout does not automatically accept cards, PayPal or mobile wallets, so the stated payment method must be checked before ordering. The Consumer Protection Act 2024 requires prices to be displayed and receipts to be issued. It addresses misleading conduct, false representations, hoarding, profiteering, restrictive business conduct, goods standards, recalls and complaints. The Consumer Protection Authority can receive complaints, investigate, decide cases and issue compensation, penalties or orders. The Price Control Order 2026 identified in the available research concerns fuel; it does not establish a general price ceiling for ordinary goods. No general statutory cooling-off or return right was identified, so the retailer’s policy and the contract should be checked. A complaint should first be raised with the seller, supported by the receipt, order details, payment record and relevant product evidence. A current public complaint form or operating contact for the Authority was not verified. Food-safety rules can change. The Food Safety (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 2016 were repealed in 2025, and the Food Safety (Fixed Penalty Offences) Regulations 2026 were enacted. Old prohibited-goods lists should not be reused without checking the current Food Safety and Customs position. CBA Naoero warns against requests for account, card or online-banking information by WhatsApp, email or telephone. Use official bank channels and verify bank details before a transfer; the local online-shopping evidence does not establish a local escrow or marketplace dispute system. Single-use plastic shopping bags are prohibited from import, manufacture, sale and distribution under the Environmental Management and Climate Change (Ban on Single Use Plastic Shopping Bags) Regulations 2021. Biodegradable, degradable and reusable bags are permitted alternatives. The stated maximum penalty is $10,000 or six months’ imprisonment. The Department of Climate Change and National Resilience and the Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation are associated with planned or developing composting, recycling and collection facilities, but full current operation was not verified. No reliable deposit-return or electronics take-back system was identified, so disposal arrangements for packaging and devices should be confirmed locally.