Amsterdam is a beautiful city: it is a historic gem with plenty of important museums, historic buildings, art, music, culture, cuisine and of course, shopping. There are many people who organize their holiday to Amsterdam not only for a cultural purpose but also to enjoy the many shopping areas Amsterdam has to offer. Among the best shopping areas in Amsterdam you can find:
- The 9 Streets
- Batavia Stad Amsterdam
- Bijenkorf
- P.C. Hooftstraat
- Kalverstraat
- Utrechtsestraat
- Beethovenstraat
- Albert Cuyp Market
- Waterlooplein Market
- De Hallen Amsterdam
- Magna Plaza
- Bijlmer Arena
- Winkelcentrum Boven Ij
- De Pijp
- Leidseplein
- Haarlemmerstraat & Haarlemeerdijk
- Episode
- Berenstraat
- Spiegelkwartier
- Schiphol Plaza
If you are considering visiting Amsterdam soon, I would recommend you bring a spare suitcase or some extra space because besides wanting to buy souvenirs, you will also fall in love with something: there is something for those who like vintage, for those who like luxury items, for those who enjoy independent designers, for those with a small budget and literally for anyone. Check out all the shopping areas down below.
Where to Shop in Amsterdam
I must admit I love shopping but not only for me, for literally anyone around me: I have friends who love homemade products, my boyfriend loves high-end brands and independent designers, I personally love vintage and second-hand shopping and so on. I have become aware of where to go for each type of budget, taste and depending on what you are looking for. Here it is my edit of the best shopping areas:
Luxury Shopping
Amsterdam has been one of the best places for luxury shopping since the creating of this city. If you know some history about Amsterdam, you will be aware that because of their trading culture, this cold European city was one of the first ones to introduce luxury items in their everyday life. These are my favorite areas:
Bijenkorf
The Bijenkorf is one of the oldest and most iconic buildings in Amsterdam. Located in Dam Square, de Bijenkorf is a luxury, eye-catching, five-story building. In this amazing place, you will be able to find any designer for men, women, home, kids, beauty, food, fragrances and everything. It is the Harrods and the Lafayette of Amsterdam, a department store where you will want it all and where the staff will make ]you feel like you belong to the Royal family.
Some of the brands you will find are Balenciaga, Burberry, Cartier, Chanel, COS, Acne Studios, Samsung, Nike, Hugo Boss, Armani and all the brands you can imagine.
Location: Dam Square
Opening time: every day, including weekends, from 10:00 am until 9:00 pm
Batavia Stad Amsterdam
Batavia is definitely a tourist favorite. It is an outlet city of many high-end brands. Technically, it is not in Amsterdam because it is located in Lelystad but you can always take the bus directly from Amsterdam and be there in half an hour. You will be able to find up to a 70% discount on brands such as Adidas, Asia, Benetton, Calvin Klein, Clarks, Converse, Geox, Karl Lagerfeld, Hunter and 200 more. Check them here.
How to get there: return ticket Amsterdam – Batavia Stad Fashion Outlet Adults: € 10, – Children: € 5,-. You can book the bus HERE.
Opening Time: from 10:00am until 06:00pm during the week, and 10:00am until 8:00pm on weekends.
The 9 Streets
This is probably my favourite part of Amsterdam. Like the name indicated, The 9 Streets (Or Negen Straatjes) are literally, a 9 streets with small little cute shops where you will be able to find everything, from high-end brands, to Dutch independent design, decoration, jewellery, underwear, cafes, international designs, sweet shops and more. It is specially nice during winter because of how nicely illuminated they are. If you are walking around the centre of Amsterdam, you have to pay a little visit there.
Read more about them on their official WEBSITE.
Opening time: there are no fixed opening hours for all the shops but in the Netherlands, always calculate from 10:00am until 5:30 or 6:00pm.
P.C. Hooftstraat
P.C. Hooftstraat is the name of one of the most famous streets in Amsterdam: located right at the beginning of Vondelpark, most tourists can’t help but wonder what this is, are they suddenly in Le Champs-Elysees?
In this famous street, there are only designer stores/boutiques of the most classic brands: Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Armani, Gucci, Tesla, Guess, Longchamp, Dolce and Gabbana and more.
Read more about them on their official website.
Opening time: there are no fixed opening hours for all the shops but in the Netherlands, always calculate from 10:00am until 5:30 or 6:00pm, every day.
Shopping Streets
In Amsterdam, there are not so many shopping centers. The biggest part of the city is a historical and old construction with small buildings and so shops tend to be located directly on the street. Some of the most famous shopping streets are:
Kalverstraat
Kalverstraat is possibly the most famous shopping street in Amsterdam. It goes from Dam Square up to Spui and Muntplein. It is definitely the busiest street of Amsterdam, mostly during the sales period and during Christmas. You will have a total of 2.5km of shops.
Shops you will find: Lush, Pull and Bear and all the Inditex group (3 Zara stores), Uniqlo, HM, HEMA, souvenir shops, shoes stores, coffee places, libraries, Rituals, Douglas, Mango, WE and many more.
Location: from Dam Square until Muntplein.
Opening time: there are no fixed opening hours for all the shops but in the Netherlands, always calculate from 10:00am until 5:30 or 6:00pm (sometimes even until later).
Other important information: at the end of Kalverstraat, crossing Dam Square, the pedestrian street continues and you will find the biggest Primark you have ever seen and many other interesting stores. Definitely worth checking out.
Utrechtsestraat
Utrechtsestraat is a different type of shopping street, much smaller and much more local. The type of stores you will be able to find there are less worldwide known: Ariane Inden Cosmetics, Angel-Basics, Artacasa, Daniele Dentici and over all, plenty of small and cute cafes!
Opening time: more or less from 10:00 am until 5:30 or 6:00 pm (sometimes even until later, it depends on the shop).
Beethovenstraat
This is another long street with plenty of independent and cute stores in Amsterdam. It is located in de Jordaan, where 9 Streets are, and once again you will be able to find from trendy fashion to alternative Dutch designers.
It is also a great place to eat some fancy food and grab some good coffee (they don’t only have Starbucks).
Some of the shops you will be able to find are: office supplies (AKO…), Interior (McBloom, Blokker,…), Electronics (iEar,…), Fashion (Claudia Strater, Paul, Lincherie, Sisera Due, …) and many more.
Markets
Another great way of experiencing shopping in Amsterdam is visiting the markets, where you will have a mix of food and items of clothing, souvenirs, and proper Dutch stuff. These are the biggest ones:
Albert Cuyp Market
This is probably the most famous one both for Amsterdamers and tourists. This market is located in De Pijp and it is one of the biggest ones, with a little bit of everything and always something going on. You can go there for grocery shopping, for stroopwafels, for fresh juices but also for clothing, some antiques, souvenirs, shoes and more (check it here).
Location: De Pijp, Oud-Zuid of Amsterdam, walking distance from Museumplein or Muntplein.
Opening time: from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm
Waterlooplein Market
If you are looking for something more like a flea market, vintage pieces, weird findings and a little bit of everything, this is your place. Waterlooplein market has a selection of natural gems, vintage findings, world trade, bags, souvenirs, shoes, bulk trade, antiques, art, used books and, of course, food and drinks.
Location: Waterlooplein, walking distance from Hortus Botanicus and Muntplein or Rembrandtplein.
Opening Time: Monday to Saturday from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm
De Hallen Amsterdam
De Hallen is very popular as a social place for dinner or lunch any day of the week (Food Hallen). If you are looking for a place to have a nice, exotic and rather social meal, I would strongly recommend it. Besides, if you are interested in finding more independent shops in Amsterdam, De Hallen counts with a bunch of cute little shops. Among these, you will be able to find: Holyoils (for oils), antiques, Dutch fashion, recycled products, art pieces, customized denim, and more.
Location: Hannie Dankbaarpassage 47, 1053 RT Amsterdam, Netherlands
Opening Time: check it here, although each shop has its own. They are mostly open from 10 am until 6:00 pm, every day of the week.
Shopping Centres
Shopping Centres don’t seem to be the most common thing in the Netherlands as they are in other countries. You will be able to find some of them in Amsterdam, although, most Dutch people prefer passing by with their bikes and stopping at independent shops to get their goods. These are the biggest and most famous ones:
Magna Plaza
If you are in the centre of Amsterdam, this building is hard to ignore. Right behind Dam Square you will find Magna Plaza, a proper shopping centre inside a historic building, with both affordable and not-so-affordable brands.
Magna Plaza is a place to it, do groceries and go shopping. The shops you will find there are: Sissy Boy (really nice Dutch jewelry and clothes shop), Dutch designers, cheese stores, Yankee Candles, Make-Up Studio, Lacoste, Mango, Unit17, Typical Dutch and more.
Location: Right behind the Palace in Dam Square
Opening time: every day of the week, from 10am until 10pm.
Bijlmer Arena
Bijlmer Arena is a train station, as well as the Ajax Stadium location, as well as a very big shopping area. It may not be the most common one for tourists, because it is not located too close to the centre, but it definitely is a good one for shopping. Be aware, most of the shops are not connected and if it rains, bring along an umbrella.
In Bijlmer Arena there is the World Fashion Shopping Centre, a big Esprit Outlet, a big Decathlon store, Primark, HEMA, de Dappermarket (street market with a little bit of everything), WE fashion, AKO, MediaMarkt and more.
Location: Bijlmer Arena, easily accessible by metro, tram, bus, and train.
Opening times: it depends, once more, never earlier than 9 am and rarely later than 6 pm.
Winkelcentrum Boven IJ
Winkelcentrum is the closest to a shopping centre you will be able to find in Noord-Amsterdam. Here you will be able to find sort of indoor shops or at least covered from the rain (unlike Bijlmer Arena where everything is completely outdoors). Here you will be able to find the most common Dutch shops that are maybe not that touristic but they are definitely popular in the country.
Some of the shops you will be able to find are Action, Blokker, bookshops, C&A, Douglas, Doctor Shoe, Decathlon, Etos, Footlocker, HEMA, Ici Paris XL, Hunkemoller and more (check them HERE).
Location: Buikslotermeerplein 229, 1025 XB Amsterdam
Opening Time: each shop has its own, but they are open every day of the week from around 9:30-10:00 am until 5:00-6:00 pm
Neighbourhoods
Besides the proper centre of Amsterdam, there are many other neighbourhoods where you will be able to find cute and original stores and enjoy the city while doing some shopping. These are some of the most popular ones:
De Pijp
This is my favourite neighbourhood in Amsterdam. De Pijp is a Dutch neighbourhood, only frequented by tourists because of the Albert Cuyp Market. In general, I love all the small independent shops. You will be able to find Xmas decorations, Vintage stores, vinyls, independent designers, super nice restaurants, cafes and more. All these shops are parallel to the market. Some of my favourites are: ANNA+NINA (jewellery), We Are Labels, Charly & Mary (clothing), RAAK (decoration) and Marbles Vintage.
When do shops open? more or less calculate the same as any Dutch store, from 10 am until 5-6:00 pm, including Sundays.
Where? De Pijp, walking distance from Museumplein and Muntplein. The southern part of the city.
Leidseplein
Leidseplein is probably the most well-known area-neighborhood for tourists. In there you will be able to find most bars and restaurants, as well as the famous coffeeshop Bulldog. Besides, if you are into shopping from well-known high street brands (and some high-end ones) as well as on the hunt for a drugstore, this is your place.
The stores you will be able to find are Apple store, Subdued, MAC Cosmetics, Pandora, Brandy Melville, Cheese shops, Art Unlimited, COS, BOS store, ASPECT, Abercrombie and Fitch, Young Designers United and more.
Opening times: they vary. Mostly follow Dutch normal opening time (from 10am until 5-6:00pm, including Sundays) or check out each store on google maps.
Haarlemmerdijk & Haarlemmerstraat
This is another not so popular, yet amazingly beautiful neighbourhood where you will be able to find local stores and cool restaurants. Some of the Dutch most common stores such as Etos, Blokker and Ekoplaza are there. If you are into independent stores you will be able to find: papabubble (art), Marbles Vintage, Shoenen op de Dijk (shoes), Natuurlijk, Claudia, Loom and Lace (women clothing), Teuntje (toys), Ook (interior) and many more shops such as tea and coffee, more fashion, more decoration and more of everything. If you are not into buying the same things you see on the stores over and over again, here you will definitely find something out of the ordinary.
Where to find it: Close to Westernpark, walking distance from Amsterdam Centraal Station.
What are the opening times: Same Dutch opening time as the rest.
Spiegelkwartier
This is another old favourite. It is very popular but not as well known. The Spiegelkwartier is an area where you will be able to find a lot of antiques, vintage shops for clothing and other items, a lot of state of the art souvenirs, vegan and vegetarian restaurants and more. I would strongly recommend art lovers to visit it, even if it is only to admire the rare pieces.
Where? When you cross the Rijksmuseum in the middle, just keep walking, you will find it.
When? Same Dutch opening time as the rest.
Others
Are there other things you were expecting to buy when in Amsterdam? Here there are some other places where you will be able to find different types of goods:
Schiphol Plaza
Schiphol Plaza is the shopping inside Amsterdam’s airport, Schiphol. I wrote an article about what to buy in Schiphol Airport, and some of the best things to get there are souvenirs such as cheese, stroopwafels and other goods as well as bulbs if you haven’t had the chance to buy them before. In any case, you can buy them in the Flower Market in centrum.
Red Light District
If you are looking for more funky items and all the forbidden goods you will only be able to get in Amsterdam, the Red Light District is your place. If you are interested to know more about these things, my friend has a blog also talking about the party side of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Party Guide, where you will be able to find a lot of useful information, places where to buy weed, all the tools, complements and much more. Check it out!
