I'm an American who visited Hagkaup, the one-stop shop known as the 'Walmart of Iceland,' and I wish

• On a recent trip to Iceland, I visited Hagkaup, an Icelandic grocery chain and retailer.
• American travelers often compare Hagkaup to Walmart because it has a little bit of everything.
• I wish we had similar stores with salad bars, pick-your-own candy, clothes, and home goods.

Founded in 1959, Hagkaup (pronounced HOW-kup) is an Icelandic retailer with seven locations across the country.

Travel bloggers, Iceland travel guides, and sites like Globe City Guide have compared Hagkaup to Walmart for its wide-ranging selection of food, housewares, clothes, cosmetics, crafts, toys, and other items.

But as I found out during a recent trip to Iceland, the chain also offers items and experiences I've never seen in a US store before, like an entire section filled with pick-your-own candy.

I visited a Hagkaup in Kópavogur, Iceland, about 5 miles outside of Reykjavík. Take a look inside.

There are seven Hagkaup stores throughout Iceland.

I visited a Hagkaup located inside the Smáralind shopping center in Kópavogur.

The store was easy to spot with its orange color scheme.

A lemon-themed cafe located at the entrance to Hagkaup sold smoothies and juices.

Then, I followed the orange arrows into the store itself.

I picked up an orange basket for easy shopping.

To the left of the entrance, the cosmetics and fragrances section featured familiar brands such as Estée Lauder, Clinique, and Ralph Lauren.

There were also plenty of toiletries and skincare products. If I'd forgotten to pack anything for my trip, I would have found it here.

Further inside the store, a full produce section displayed fresh fruits and vegetables.

There was even a box of free fruit for kids to enjoy, a common feature in Nordic supermarkets.

A salad bar with prepared foods such as chicken, meatballs, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs cost 1,999 ISK, or about $15, per kilogram, or about 2.2 pounds.

A small cheese section offered wheels of Brie and wedges of Cheddar.

Hagkaup also sold a range of Icelandic salmon, one of the island country's specialties.

One liter, or about a quart, of milk cost 219 ISK, or about $1.66. It was cheaper than my local Walmart, where a quart of milk costs $1.98.

I felt right at home when I noticed American brands like Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, and Kellogg's Corn Flakes in the grocery aisles.

The snack aisle featured Lay's chips, another familiar brand to me as an American, for 429 ISK, or about $3.25. At my local Walmart, a bag of chips costs $3.68.

I also spotted some Oreos among British treats like Cadbury chocolates and Hobnob biscuits.

The bakery section sold breads, cakes, and pastries.

I thought the colorful birthday cakes appeared fancier than grocery-store sheet cakes I've seen at bakery counters in the US.

The sweets didn't end there. I was surprised to find a full candy store called Nammiland at Hagkaup, as well.

Customers could take a paper bag and scoop out gummies, chocolates, sour belts, and other candies from giant bins.

I soon learned that "leikföng" means "toys" in Icelandic in a section full of hula hoops, stuffed animals, and other amusements.

For older kids, Hagkaup sold various sizes of bikes.

I was impressed by the arts-and-crafts section with shelves of colorful alpaca yarn. It reminded me of Michael's craft stores in the US.

I visited Iceland in June, when boots are still necessary with fast-changing weather. Hagkaup had a large selection to choose from.

With plentiful party supplies, I could imagine running out to Hagkaup to pick up a beautiful cake from the bakery and everything I'd need to host a birthday party.

Like Walmart stores, Hagkaup had a scanner to check prices as I shopped.

Hagkaup had both self-checkout and staffed cashiers. Magazines and candy at the checkout appeared to be a universal phenomenon, regardless of country.

While Hagkaup's wide array of items at affordable prices felt similar to Walmart, it was missing the pharmacy, optical, and auto sections found at many US Walmart stores.

Still, Hagkaup's robust grocery section, including a salad bar and full candy store, made me wish I could shop there more often.

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