Birthplace of "The Dutch Miracle" and epicenter of the "Golden Age". For more than 500 years Amsterdam has been one of Europe's main trading port cities, renowned for its variety of goods and competitive prices.

Amsterdam is a city for everyone when it comes to shopping. Chic boutiques, large luxurious department stores, street markets, world class diamond and jewelry brokers and makers, small outlets of eccentric fashion designers exist together in a delightful mélange meant to satisfy a vast range of tastes and needs.

You have the choice of more than 10,440 shops -- 146 art galleries -- 175 antique shops and about 50 street markets. More than enough to keep you busy.

Shopping Areas - Markets and Streets- Google Map
Amsterdam's main shopping areas are:

~Center Shopping District

Leidsestraat between the Leidseplein and Spui,
Kalverstraat leading from the Munt Tower to the Dam
Nieuwendijk winding down to and ending at Prins Hendrikkade near Central Station.,

~Waterlooplein Flee Market
~The Jordaan District Area
~Flower Market
~Gay & Lesbian Party Street
~Spui Plein and Shopping Area
~Spiegelstraat Art & Antiques Area
~Leidseplein Area
~Rembrandtplein Party Area
~Leidsestraat Shopping Street
~Albert Cuypstraat - Market
~Oud-Zuid - PC Hooftstraat, Van Baerlestraat and Beethovenstraat Area.

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View Shopping: - Areas - Markets and Streets in a larger map

But this is in no way the limit to the shopping. Amsterdam has great shops and market places all over the city. Some are local treasures with multi generational family ownerships. Ask the locals for unusual and unique items ..folks are always happy to assist visitors -- most speak English wonderfully.

Damrak ~ The short street between Central Station and the Dam

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 even open on Sundays.

Supermarkets are open all over Amsterdam till 20:00 during the week, and are closed on Sundays. The supermarkets in the Centrum are open till 22:00 daily and are also open Sundays but only till 20:00.

Under Museumplein across the street from the Concertgebow (concert building) is an underground Albert Hein supermarket. You can join the folks on this sensible subterranean enterprise's "grass roof" and have your lunch or bask in the sun on our man made Dutch "hillside".

Dutch family shopping night on Thursdays till 21:00

There are the popular large stores near the Munt Tower, Vroon & Dreesman and Hema, and at the Dam is DeBijenkorf and behind the Palace at the Dam is Magna Plaza and The Super center "Albert Hein" 

The Jordaan and the 9 little streets "the 9's" around it contain many small interesting individual shops.

The PC Hooftstraat and the district east of Vondel Park, near the main museums, contains many of the more chic shops...Kalvin Kline, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hillfigger, to name just a few of our favorites.

A City tour can help you get aquatinted with the various shopping areas to explore.

Amsterdam Walking Tour

Bijenkorf

De Bijenkorf is the largest department store in Amsterdam

If you like shopping or if you just like to visit the interesting shops, the biggest Amsterdam department store, centrally located at the Dam square - De Bijenkorf (The Beehive) is not to be missed.

When visiting De Bijenkorf, do not just expect to fulfill your needs; rather enjoy the store’s selection and its taste. Here is the big, six floors high department store like a feast - full of light, surprising with interesting objects, shinning with modern design, a mixture of intelligence and fun.

Since 1870:
The history of De Bijenkorf dates back till 1870, when Philip Goudsmit opened its first the shop with buttons and sewing supplies at the busy Nieuwendjik street. During the renovation of the shop in 1912, it had to be temporary moved to the Dam square. The sales quadrupled and ever since the Bijenkorf, now in its monumental building dating from 1957 (designed by Marcel Breuer), has been located at the Dam square.

An institution:
The Bijenkorf is an institution. Not only because of the quality of it’s up market choice and sometimes high prices. The store contains a restaurant and a coffee bar, art gallery and a hairdresser for the young people. It organizes festivities, concerts, fashion shows, cultural travels and exhibitions. It issues its own credit card and a periodical magazine.

No wonder The Bijenkorf bears the proud title Koninklijke – Royal. The Royal Bijenkorf - because it’s rich history is inseparably linked with the history of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. De Bijenkorf and its personnel bravely resisted German occupation during the WWII. The store has been burnt two times, remaining opened throughout the war years. As Jewish-owned, De Bijenkorf had to be formally handed over for the time of the Nazi rule in the Netherlands, to the non-Jewish proprietors.

Today De Bijenkorf has also divisions in all bigger Dutch cities. It also owns the chain of the good quality low price stores called HEMA (from the Dutch: Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, exists from 1926).

Still, its central department store centrally located at the Dam, just to the left of the Krasnapolsky Hotel, and with the Beurs van Berlage behind, remains a flagship, proudly waving the flag of The Netherlands at the top of its 6 story building.

Dwaze dagen – Crazy days:
Once a year, usually at the end of September or in October The Bijenkorf organizes three crazy days of special sales. Many objects of the top world’s luxury brands are sold at large discount, usually 25% cheaper but often as much as 40%. Amazingly the discounted products often belong to the actually most sought out and popular. On each of the three Crazy Days different products are discounted. The store opens during these days at 8.AM and the impatient crowd will find many products inside wrapped in a bright yellow paper. They will be unwrapped on each of the following days of this shopping madness.

A word to Shoppers:
De Bijenkorf is an up market, luxury department store and not the utility warehouse. Do not expect a complete range of products in any of De Bijenkorf numerous departments. The choice remains always selective, sharp, intelligent. It will make your shopping a pleasure.

Open daily:
Monday 11.00 - 18.00 h.
Tuesday 9.30 - 18.00 h.
Wednesday 9.30 - 18.00 h.
Thursday 9.30 - 21.00 h.
Friday 9.30 - 21.0 h.
Saturday 9.30- 18.00 h.
Sunday 12.00 - 18.00 h.

Parking:
Parking in the garages of Bijenkorf (Dam) is available for up to 487 cars. The rates are following: the first 3 hours 1,40 per 30 minutes; one hour before and one hour after the store opening EUR 1,60 per 30 minutes; then EUR 1,40 per 30 minutes which is also a night rate.

By public transport
From Amsterdam Central Station by tram 4,9,16,24, 25 to tram stop Dam.

Website: www.bijenkorf.nl

Magna Plaza

The Magna Plaza is situated directly behind the Royal Palace and the Niewkerk. This beautiful shopping centre is housed in what used to be the Amsterdam General Post Office, and is on the National Heritage list of historic treasures.

This stunning building has been transformed into a super-deluxe department store, with many exclusive shops under one roof.

http://www.magnaplaza.nl/index.php

Street Markets

From food and second hand clothes -- to coins and postage stamps we have
16 unique street Markets for you to explore.

click here

Flowers

The flower market is on the Singel between the beginning of the Leidsestraat and the Munt Tower. Come and smell the flowers, it does a sole good! You can take trams 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 14, 16,  24, or 25 from Central Station (CS)

Flower market details

Prescriptions:

You will have to go to a Pharmacy known as an "Apoteak"

Cough Medicine and Band-Aids

Buying food in supermarkets is straightforward, but don't look for the health section for your patent medicines. For even the basic band-aid or aspirin you need the specialist places like ETOS for example

Take our walking tour for more shopping places.

Art & Antiques:

Art Galleries
Buying Art for your collection or looking for the perfect table? Amsterdam is packed end to end with possibilities.

Bring your antique guide-books and your credit cards and have a great time.

We have a fine selection of local tours more info

Our listing of Amsterdam's Art Galleries

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Spiegelkwartier: Art & Antique Stores
NIEUWE SPIEGELSTRAAT, SPIEGELGRACHT

If you collect antiques or modern art, the Spiegelkwartier is the place to go. Just across the bridge opposite the Rijksmuseum you will find this historical neighborhood with its typical old Dutch houses. Antique shops in Amsterdam are located mostly around here. Spiegelgracht and Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, is a narrow street leading north towards the center of the old city from the Rijksmuseum ending at the Herengracht canal.

At the corner of Weteringschans and Spiegelgracht you will see the famous Diamond House Lazare Diamonds on the right in the Museum Plaza building; on the left-hand corner is Reflex Modern Art Gallery which sells contemporary art.

This area had been the heart of the national art and antiques trade for the past eighty years and has a friendly relaxed atmosphere. There are few places in the world where you will find such a stunning variety of art and antiques for sale.

Over 70 antique shops and fine art galleries and antique dealers offer a wide variety of objects, ranging from archeological finds to 17th century furniture, glass and Dutch Delftware, from oriental art to Art Nouveau, from tribal art to contemporary art, from old medical instruments and clocks to jewelry and, last but not least, icons, paintings and old master prints.are located on this one street or directly in the neighborhood which is called the "Spiegelkwartier (Mirror Quarter)". Also, many of the most prestigious larger shops / Antique Houses' are located along the Prinsengracht, and the Keizersgracht near the intersections with Spiegelstraat

In the Spiegelkwartier you can have a drink or a bite to eat on almost every street corner.

Even if you are not a collector yourself, a walk around this area may give you an opportunity to discover objects which will fascinate you with their beauty and their history.

There are however many additional shops scattered around the city so keep alert for the unusual and unexpected. You may want to check out the Waterlooplein Flee Market ..we have found many interesting pieces there..as well as a few genuine treasures in amongst the junk.

On the "Nieuwe Spiegelstraat"
Looking towards the Rijksmuseum	Looking towards the Herengracht canal

Website of the Spiegelkwartier - http://www.spiegelkwartier.nl/

Maps of Amsterdam   

click to  visit our map page

Hardware store - Lumber Supply - Locks and keys

In Dutch they are called, IJzerwarenhandel (hardware), Houthandel (wood), and Sleutelservice (locks) respectively

Numerous shops around town help us keep everything working in good order. For one of the most complete supply houses in the center is

NICOLAAS B.V. Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 21, tel.623 0069 next to the McDonalds at the Leidseplein.

nicolaasijzerwaren@hetnet.nl

And now...the News!

For good selection of international newspapers get to Athenaeum on the Spui. At the Central Station. Also at the English-language bookshops Waterstones and American Discount both are on the Kalverstraat just off the Spui.

  http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/

There are international television stations on the Amsterdam cable, including American, Belgian, British, French, German, Italian, Moroccan, Spanish, and Turkish stations, as well as other satellite channels like CNN, CNBC, BBC.