Nokta Games put Supermarket Simulator into Early Access on 20 February 2024 and shipped the 1.0 build on 19 June 2025. You order stock on the shop computer, price every product against a market rate that moves daily, stack the shelves by hand and scan each item at the till until you can afford staff. Twenty six licences sit between you and the full catalogue of over 150 products.
Combat in Supermarket Simulator rewards knowledge over reflexes. Understanding how each mechanic works (and how they interact) is what turns a struggling player into a dominant one. New here? Start with our beginner's guide for the basics.
Core Combat Mechanics
1. Ordering stock on the store computer
Everything you sell is ordered from the computer in the back room, arrives as stacked boxes and has to be carried out and shelved by hand. Boxes left in the aisles block customers and cost you sales, so the storage room upgrade pays for itself quickly.
Why it matters: This is the foundation of all combat. Everything else builds on this.
2. Pricing against the daily market rate
Each product shows a market price, and you set your own retail price against it. Community pricing tests keep landing on roughly 10 percent over market as the point where extra margin still beats the sales you lose.
Why it matters: The most underrated mechanic. Players who master this early have a massive advantage.
3. Store Points and store levels
Store Points come from customers buying products, from restocking and from keeping the place clean, and they push your store level up. Store level is the gate on new licences and expansions, so a busy tidy shop unlocks content faster than a rich empty one.
Why it matters: Unlocks a new layer of gameplay depth once understood.
4. Licences that unlock product groups
Each of the 26 licences costs cash and needs a minimum store level, and it unlocks a group of related products rather than a single item. Buying one you cannot afford to keep stocked just eats capital.
Why it matters: The tactical edge that separates average players from advanced ones.
5. Hiring cashiers and restockers
Cashiers work a till so you stop scanning, and restockers pull boxes from the storage racks onto shelves. Both take a flat daily wage, which a busy shift covers several times over.
Why it matters: The endgame optimization mechanic. Small improvements here compound into massive gains.
How These Mechanics Combine
Understanding how mechanics interact is where real optimization happens:
Ordering stock on the store computer + Pricing against the daily market rate
Everything you sell is ordered from the computer in the back room, arrives as stacked boxes and has to be carried out and shelved by hand. When combined with Pricing against the daily market rate, each product shows a market price, and you set your own retail price against it. This combination is the core of every effective build.
Store Points and store levels + Licences that unlock product groups
Store Points come from customers buying products, from restocking and from keeping the place clean, and they push your store level up. Paired with Licences that unlock product groups, each of the 26 licences costs cash and needs a minimum store level, and it unlocks a group of related products rather than a single item. This is why the tier list favors builds that leverage both.
Hiring cashiers and restockers as a Multiplier
Cashiers work a till so you stop scanning, and restockers pull boxes from the storage racks onto shelves. Both take a flat daily wage, which a busy shift covers several times over. This system amplifies everything else. The better your Hiring cashiers and restockers optimization, the more your other mechanics pay off.
Combat by Build
Each build approaches combat differently:
Owner operator (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Checkout counter Primary mechanic: Ordering stock on the store computer
Owner operator offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Cashier (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Shelves Primary mechanic: Pricing against the daily market rate
Cashier offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Restocker (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Fridges Primary mechanic: Store Points and store levels
Restocker offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Security guard (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Freezers Primary mechanic: Licences that unlock product groups
Security guard offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Online order courier (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Anti theft antenna Primary mechanic: Hiring cashiers and restockers
Online order courier offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Advanced Combat Techniques
Damage Optimization
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities
- Exploit Ordering stock on the store computer for maximum damage windows
- Chain Pricing against the daily market rate and Store Points and store levels for combo damage
- Use Licences that unlock product groups to create openings
Survivability
- Learn enemy patterns before committing to attacks
- Set most products at roughly 10 percent over the market rate. Player pricing tests keep landing there because the margin on what sells outweighs the handful of customers who refuse, while a 20 percent markup produces enough complaints to cost you both sales and Store Points.
- Position using Ordering stock on the store computer to control spacing
- Save defensive options for guaranteed survival, not comfort
Boss Combat
Bosses test your understanding of every mechanic. See our boss guide for fight-specific strategies.
- Phase awareness: Most bosses change behavior at health thresholds
- Patience over aggression: One extra hit per opening beats dying to greed
- Build preparation: Swap gear and equipment for specific fights when needed
Common Combat Mistakes
- Button mashing: Committed attacks have recovery frames. Mashing locks you into animations.
- Ignoring Pricing against the daily market rate: This mechanic exists for a reason. Players who use it take significantly less damage.
- Wrong equipment for the situation: Check our weapons guide for situational picks.
- Not learning from deaths: Every death teaches something. If you don't know why you died, you'll die the same way again.
- Overcommitting: Trading hits works in Shop floor but will get you killed in Local market.
More Supermarket Simulator Guides
- Supermarket Simulator Supermarket Simulator Overview
- Supermarket Simulator Best Builds
- Supermarket Simulator Tier List
- Supermarket Simulator Walkthrough
- Supermarket Simulator Beginner's Guide
- Supermarket Simulator Tips & Tricks
- Supermarket Simulator Weapons Guide
- Supermarket Simulator Boss Guide
- Supermarket Simulator Maps & Locations
- Supermarket Simulator Crafting Guide
- Supermarket Simulator Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Supermarket Simulator, check out these related guides:
- Stardew Valley Combat Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- Satisfactory Combat Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- The Sims 4 Combat Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
