Shopping in Amsterdam and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Shopping Tips

Traditionally, shops and markets are closed all day Sunday and Monday mornings. Normal shopping hours are 09:00 or 10:00 to 18:00 (17:00 on Saturday) although some are now beginning to stay open later in the evenings and about half of the shops on the main shopping streets are even open on Sundays. There is late-night shopping on Thursdays until 21:00, when most shops on the main streets are open.

The main shopping areas are the Leidsestraat between the Leidseplein and Spui, and the Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk, leading from the Munt Tower via the Dam to near the Central Station. There are large stores near the Munt Tower (V&D and Hema), and at the Dam (Bijenkorf and Magna Plaza). There is a large supermarket behind the Palace at the Dam, open until 22:00, even Sundays.

The Jordaan and the streets around it contain many small interesting individual shops. The PC Hooftstraat and district, near the museums, contains many of the more chic shops.

There is an interesting daily clothes and second-hand market around the City Hall and Opera (trams 9, 14, 51 to Waterlooplein there is a busy cosmopolitan food and clothes market in the Albert Cuypstraat (trams 4, 6, 10 and 16. The flower market on the Singel (between the top of the Leidsestraat and the Munt Tower) is not to be missed (trams 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 14, 16, 24, 25.

Buying food in supermarkets is straightforward, with one exception: buy the milk in blue cartons. The red cartons are buttermilk (karnemelk), which is probably not what you want.



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Albert Cuyp is a mile-long, no-nonsense, 100-year-old street market where locals stock up on food, flowers, clothes and notions six days a week. There is something very satisfying about a market in the middle of the street, where cars are banned and pedestrians rule. The market has nearly 300 vendors on both sides of the street facing a central aisle that runs down the middle of four blocks of Albert Cuypstraat. Here you'll see the newer faces of Amsterdam - Kurds, Serbs and Cambodians - selling and buying alongside the ruddy old-timers, all of whom use this market as their everyday larder, choosing from fruits and vegetables, fresh chickens on ice, and smoked and fresh fish. You can walk through Albert Cuyp and see nary a tourist, feeling, for just a moment, what it must be like to be a native. There is no pretension here, but value is everywhere.
Most of the stores on Albert Cuypstraat display their wares on the sidewalk and some even have market stalls. There are a lot of flower and plant merchants and clothing stores whose prices attract a regular following, and little cafes along the street selling local specialties. This is a good neighborhood to scout out the numerous cheap ethnic restaurants operated by recent immigrants.



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The name "Waterlooplein", which translates as "Waterloo Square", was used for the first time in 1880, when the city filled in two canals, the "Leprozengracht" and the "Houtgracht", forming a new square.
The original outdoor market dates from 1893 when the mostly Jewish market, then located on and around the "Jodenbreestraat"with other stalls on surrounding streets, was forced by the governement to move on to Waterloo Square itself. The forced move aroused some strong feelings. The Waterloo Square outdoor market in the late 1900's was a bustling place, operating six days a week, being closed, of course, on saterday, the Jewish Sabbath. This was the place where you could literally find almost anything. The horrors of Wold War II with mass extermination of Jews by Nazi Germany forever marked the end of the old Jewish market. Even though it was restored after the war, it never was to regain its old orginal flavor and style.

What To Buy: Where can you find the hottest, most trendy fashions? The "waterlooplein"market of course! The market people knoe exactly what's in, what's hot (and what's not!) and what is about to be "cool new stuff". An incredible array of clothing, shoes, hats, leather goods and so on, re available at the Waterloo Market. If a new fashion hasn't yet been defined, the market people often become trend-setters and can actually dictate fashion. Like a few years ago, they began selling fur coats in the middle of the summer. The hip, "now"culture had to have a fur coat for summer wear. And now days the Waterloo Market is still defining the latest "look"for new wave amsterdam. To top off that "look" there is a rich international selection of accessories. How about an African mask? A neat pair of German "lederhosen"? A handmade batik from Indonesian? An orginal RAF jacket? man "lederhöse"? A batik from Indonesian? A original RAF jacket? You can find all these things and more....and don't forget one-of-a-kind antiques, curiosities and an incredible selection of second hand books in many languages. They're all for sale at the Waterloo Flea Market!


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Directions: The present location of the Waterloo Square Flea Market is located behind Amsterdam's Townhall. Trams 9 and 14 as well as the Subway have waterlooplein stops

A much loved, Dutch institution, (there was even an exhibition of the history of the company in the Beurs van Berlage Museum in 2002). Some things are as stylish as those in the Conran/Habitat shops but they are as inexpensive as anything found in Woolworth's. Hema's kitchenware is particularly good, with simple crockery and glassware always available. Prices are low, but the quality is usually high: good buys include casual clothes, baby clothing, bed linen, underwear, household items, stationery and other accessories. They have seasonal offers, from garden furniture in summer to chocolate alphabets in November. Hema also sells pastries, bread, and a few delicatessen foods such as smoked eels and cheap wines. None of the shops take credit cards



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Address: Kalvertoren, Singel 457/A1Trams 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 20

This countrywide chain dominates the high street as well as the smaller towns in the Netherlands. The chain seems to have been catering to changing tastes and customer requirements recently. They have increased their selection of organic products, and their green-labelled own brand yoghurt is recommended as very smooth and mild. They are renowned for having a decent selection of wines, but you can't get spirits, or even the Dutch gin here. One massive branch of Albert Heijn, called the 'Food Plaza', located behind Dam Square, can get very crowded. Try and go in the early morning to avoid the queues. There are over 40 branches of Heijn within Amsterdam (some of which are listed below), but the extended hours at this branch are an exception. It should contain most everything you need in terms of food and household goods, though prices on some ranges are more expensive than at some local competitors.



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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 226
Directions: Tram 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 24, 25.
Open Monday to Saturday 8.00-22.00

A cut price, rather basic grocery store. There's less choice and less luxury than at Albert Heijn, but it's about 10% cheaper. They also have a separate shop selling cut-price alcohol (Dirk III) including the famous jenever (Dutch gin) and advocaat.



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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Marie Heinekenplein 25
Directions: Tram 16, 24, 25.
Open Monday to Friday 8.00 21.00

Name of Shop: Dappermarkt

A true locals' market, far less touristy than its famous counterparts: for a start, prices don't seem to rise in accordance with the number of visitors. It sells the usual market fodder, with plenty of cheap clothes and underwear.
You might mostly find there turkish and moroccon people as Dapperstraat is their main neighbourhood.
Open 9am-5pm Mon-Sat; closed Sun. No credit cards.

What To Buy: Food and clothes at reasonable price

What To Pay: 10 to 20 Euro

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Dapperstraat
Directions: Tram 3, 6, 10, 14.