SHOPPING

The opening hours of most regular shops are from 9 a.m. to 6 pm, except on Thursday, when many shops are open until 9 p.m.

The main shopping area is located near the Dam Square, including streets such as Kalverstraat and Leidsestraat. A very posh and expensive shopping street is the P.C. Hooftstraat, near the Museumplein area.

The chain stores we think are the most useful are listed below:

Blokker: a handy store with reasonable prices for kitchen utensils, like pots and pans, mugs and cups, cutlery, but also gifts, like candles
Xenos: a very cheap shop selling similar products to those found in Blokker, but also food and some small items of furniture
Kruidvat, Etos and DA: these are all pharmacies
V&D (standing for Vroom & Dreesman): a very big department store with changing rooms, selling almost anything at reasonable prices
Hema: big department store without changing rooms, selling at fair prices
Bijenkorf (meaning Beehive): a big, posh and expensive department store, the main one located on the Dam Square
Zeeman: really the cheapest shop in town for clothes and the like. No comment; you have to check it out for yourself.
One final tip: if you like comparing products and prices, you can also go to the great shopping area close to Amsterdam in Amstelveen, called 'Binnenhof'. All major chains are represented there and it has quite a nice atmosphere.

Supermarkets

There are plenty of supermarkets in Amsterdam, so you are bound to find one in your neighbourhood. In general they are open until 8 p.m. during the week, until 7 p.m. on Saturdays. On Sundays most of them are closed. Check the times of your local supermarket. There are some evening shops, which are useful when you forget things, but be aware that prices are higher.

The main chains are:
Albert Heijn (expensive, very wide selection of products)
Super de Boer (quite expensive, good selection)
Deen and Vomar (normal prices, good selection)
Dirk van den Broek (cheap, wide range, quality depends on the store)
Basismarkt, Aldi, Lidl (very cheap, selections differ).

In some supermarkets you have to weigh vegetables and fruit yourself on a scale, after which you press the button called 'bon' and wait for the price sticker, which you then put on the product. At the cashier, you will be asked if you save 'spaarpunten', 'zegels' or 'airmiles', and at Albert Heijn whether you have a 'AH-bonuskaart' (a discount card - without it you will miss the special offers!). If you become a regular customer of the store and if you like it, you can consider saving these kind of stamps. It is typically Dutch!

In most supermarkets there is a machine where you can return empty soft drink bottles. At the cashier you can hand in the receipt and you get € 0,25 back per bottle. Empty glass bottles should be put in the 'glasbak' for recycling, and paper in the 'papierbak'. One final thing: be aware that you are not allowed to take the shopping trolley home - it is considered a theft!

If you don't want to buy your vegetables in a supermarket, you can also go to specialised stores or to an outside market. There are also many (rather expensive) 'natuurwinkels' in Amsterdam, which sell 100% natural products. In China Town, located around the Nieuwmarkt, you can find many food stores selling Chinese products.