Looking for a supermarket in Amsterdam?
In this handy guide we’ll take a look at 12 Dutch supermarket brands present in Amsterdam. From market leaders Albert Heijn and Jumbo, various discount supermarkets, express stores and high-end organic supermarkets.
We’ll also start with a few Dutch supermarket tips to get your bearings and save you some money. So grab your trolley and let’s go shopping…
Supermarket Shopping Tips in the Netherlands
Firstly you should know that “supermarket” in Dutch is supermarkt. Simple really! The word for store is winkel.
The Netherlands is a small and compact country so you will not find large out-of-town supermarkets or hypermarkets. Most shoppers arrive on foot or by bike – so Dutch supermarkets tend to be small to medium size stores in the heart of residential areas.
Supermarket prices – Want to know the approximate cost of various food and drink products for sale? See our Dutch supermarket price guide with English-Dutch translations for everyday items.
Payment – The total price of your shopping bill will be rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cents. Dutch supermarkets generally accept cash (notes of €100 or less) and debit cards. Credit cards are slowly becoming more widely accepted. Note, a small number of supermarket branches are card-only.
Discounts – Most supermarkets regularly offer special offers in store. In addition fresh items close to their use-by dates will be marked down by sticker, generally 35% of 50% off the original price.
Bags – Dutch supermarkets do not offer free plastic bags, although you can take the flimsy fruit/veg polythene bags for free. Strong plastic bags or cotton “bags for life” are available for sale.
Bottle deposits – If you buy glass beer bottles, aluminium cans or large plastic water/soft drink bottles you have to pay a refundable deposit (statiegeld) of €0.10, €0.15 or €0.25 respectively. Beer crates are charged at €1.50.
The empties can be returned to a special machine at any supermarket – put all the bottles in then press the button to get a refund receipt which can be redeemed at the checkout.
Peak hours – Supermarkets in the Netherlands can get very busy in the early evenings and on Saturday mornings with long queues forming at the checkout. Try to avoid peak times if at all possible!
Organic – Most supermarkets will sell a limited range of organic (bio) products in store. Amsterdam has a good number of dedicated organic stores – see Ekoplaza below or check our organic food shopping guide to Amsterdam
Freebies – Some supermarkets offer customers free filter coffee or tea in store. Free samples of cheese and cold-cut meats can sometimes be offered.
Check the receipt – There can be the occasional discrepancy between marked prices and what goes through at the till. If you spot an error against you then go to the till or service desk and ask for the price difference to be refunded.
By shopping at one of the Amsterdam markets you can sometimes find cheaper prices for fruit/veg and other items than in supermarkets.
Supermarket Brands in the Netherlands
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn (AH) is the premium supermarket chain in the Netherlands, run by the multinational Ahold group. It has over 100 store locations in Amsterdam.
The stores are reasonably well presented and Albert Heijn focuses on quality products, both name brands and own label.
Most stores are open daily, the larger ones between 0800 and 2200. Online purchase and delivery is also available.
Our experience with some Albert Heijn stores however, is that at times they don’t open enough tills up which means queues can be a bit long. The number of self-service tills has been increased – these only accept card payments.
If you are coming to live in the Netherlands then you should probably get an Albert Heijn Bonus card – simply ask for one in store.
Presented at check-out, the card gets you Bonus discounts on selected items highlighted every week, running Monday to Sundays. It can either be used ‘anonymously’ or you can register online for more personal offers.
Albert Heijn store locations (selection) in and around Amsterdam
AH Store Address (Area or Nearest Points of Interest)Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 226 (Dam/Royal Palace)Prins Hendrikkade 20 (near Amsterdam Central Station)Jodenbreestraat 21 (Rembrandt house)Koningsplein 6 (Koningsplein/Flower market)Leidseplein 31 (Leidseplein square)Vijzelstraat 113 (FOAM/Stadsarchief)Utrechtsestraat 17 (Rempbrandtplein square)Nieuwmarkt 18 (Nieuwmarkt square)Frederiksplein 3 (Frederiksplein/Utrechtsestraat)Oosterdokskade 65 (Oosterdok/OBA Central Library)Westermarkt 21 (Anne Frank House/Westerkerk)Elandsgracht 13 (Jordaan/Prinsengracht)Bilderdijkstraat 37 (Da Costabuurt)Johannes Verhulststraat 149 (Museum Quarter)Kinkerstraat 89 (De Hallen)Frederik Hendrikstraat 81 (Frederick Hendrikbuurt)Haarlemmerdijk 1 (Haarlemmerdijk/Brouwersgracht)Haarlemmerplein 34 (Westerpark)Van Limburg Stirumstraat 44 (Westerpark)Spaarndammerdijk 3 (Spaarndammerbuurt)Westerstraat 79 (Noordermarkt/Jordaan)Overtoom 21/116/454 (Leidseplein/Vondelpark)Jan Pieter Heijestraat 132 (Overtoom/Vondelpark)Van Baerlestraat 33 (Museumplein/Concertgebouw)Weteringschans 165 (Vijzelgracht/Heineken Experience)Stadhouderskade 101 (Heineken Experience/Albert Cuyp market)Sarphatistraat 141 (Weesperplein/Oosterpark)Sarphatistraat 670 (De Gooyer Windmill)Eerste Oosterparkstraat 100 (OLVG/Oosterpark)Eerste van Swindenstraat 91 (Dapperplein/Oosterpark)Celebesstraat 43 (Oost/Muiderpoort)Wibautstraat 80 (Amstel/Oost)Krugerplein 3 (Krugerplein/Oost)Land van Cocagneplein 3 (Oostpoort)Klein Witteburgerstraat 18 (Maritime Museum)Oostelijke Handelskade 1065 (Java/KNSM Islands)Cornelis Troostplein 11 (De Pijp)Van Woustraat 150 (De Pijp)Scheldeplein 5 (RAI convention center)Maasstraat 47 (Rivierenbuurt)Rijnstraat 33/139 (Rivierenbuurt/Amstel)Bercylaan 5 (Eye Film/Noord)MS van Riemsdijkweg 186 (NDSM wharf)Peter Schatstraat 65 (Zuid)Parnassusweg 701 (Zuid)Gerrit van der Veenstraat 57 (Apollobuurt)Stadionweg 159 (Olympic Stadium)Stadionplein 115 (Olympic Stadium)Aankomstpassage 1-50 (Schiphol Airport Plaza)
There are also smaller Albert Heijn To Go stores (express-style) located at Schiphol airport and at the main stations in Amsterdam – Central, Amstel, RAI, Sloterdijk, Zuid and Bijlmer-ArenA.
There are also AH To Go stores in central Amsterdam on Damrak, Rokin, Leidsestraat, Nieuwendijk and Reguliersbreestraat (between Muntplein and Rembrandtplein). Note that prices for products tend to be higher than at the normal stores.
Albert Heijn XL is an expanded version of the standard supermarket store. One can be found at Gelderlandplein 47 (in Buitenveldert, a southern suburb not far from Amsterdam Zuid station). There are also XL stores in the outer suburbs of Osdorp and Diemen.
Dirk van den Broek
A popular budget supermarket chain with 16 stores in greater Amsterdam.
They tend to be a bit cheaper than Albert Heijn on branded items. Store presentation is slightly more basic. Its stores are generally open on Sundays.
Dirk store locations in Amsterdam
Dirk store address (Area or Nearest Points of Interest)Warmoesstraat 157 (Dam Square/Red-Light District)Marie Heinekenplein 25 (Heineken Brewery/De Pijp)2e Hugo de Grootstraat 43 (Frederick Hendrikbuurt)2e Nassaustraat 23 (Westerpark)Bilderdijkstraat 126 (Foodhallen)Mercatorplein 10 (Baarsjes/Rembrandt Park)Bos en Lommerplein 1 (Bos en Lommer)Rijnstraat 48 (Amstel/Rivierenbuurt)Europaboulevard 19 (RAI convention center)Meeuwenlaan 76 (Amsterdam Noord/EYE Film)Sierplein 6 (Slotervaart)Belgiëplein 106 (Nieuw Sloten)Sloterkade 110-127 (Hoofddorpplein)Tussenmeer 1A (Osdporp)Plein 40-45/Burg. de Vlugtlaan 40-45 (Slotermeer)Kostverlorenhof 80-86 (Amstelveen)
Jumbo
This is a large family-run supermarket chain from Brabant in the south of the Netherlands which has been expanding into the major Randstad cities. With over 700 stores it is now the second biggest supermarket chain in the country.
Jumbo stores have a reasonable quality feel about them with both branded and own brand items for sale. Prices are a little lower than Albert Heijn.
Jumbo is renowned for excellent customer service and fair pricing policies. For example, if you find any discrepancy between the store price and till price you get that item for free. Also, any fresh product on its sell-by date is given for free. They also manage checkout queues well. The stores are open daily.
Jumbo have 3 different type of stores. The standard Jumbo supermarket, the smaller Jumbo City express-style stores and the larger Jumbo FoodMarkt with wider choice. Jumbo also owns the La Place self-service restaurant brand.
Jumbo.com also offers online purchase and delivery.
Jumbo store locations in Amsterdam
Jumbo store address (Area or Nearest Points of Interest)Westerstraat 98-102 (Jordaan)Damrak 28-30 (Central Station/Dam Square)1e Constantijn Huygensstraat 55H (Vondelpark/Leidseplein)Ferdinand Bolstraat 89B (De Pijp)Jodenbreestraat 11 (Rembrandt House)Wolvenstraat 32 (Keizersgracht/9 streets)Linnaeusstraat 245 (Oost)Oostelijke Handelskade 1005 (Java/KNSM Islands)Julianaplein 48 (Watergraafsmeer)Baarsjesweg 303-305 (Vondelpark/Rembrandt Park)Hendrik Jacobszstraat 9 (Amsterdam Oud-Zuid)Spaarndammerstraat 544 (Westerpark/Spaarndammerbuurt)Plein '40-'45 12 (Slotermeer)Osdorpplein 1014 (Osdorp)Pieter Calandlaan 808 (De Aker)Gedempt Hamerkanaal 223 (Amsterdam Noord) - FoodMarktBuikslotermeerplein 52 (Amsterdam Noord)
Jumbo also has a few stores around the satellite suburbs/towns of Amsterdam including Amstelveen, Diemen, Amsterdam Zuid-Oost and Ouderkerk-aan-de-Amstel.
VOMAR
Short for Vordeel Markt, this is another discount supermarket chain with a significant presence in north Holland. Prices are on par with the Dirk.
VOMAR store locations in Amsterdam
VOMAR store address (Area or Nearest Points of Interest)Cornelis Vermuydenstraat 2 (Eastern Docklands/De Gooyer windmill)Kinkerstraat 34 (West)Middenweg 69 (Oost)Gulden Winckelplantsoen 13-17 (Bos en Lommer)Mosveld 89 (Noord)Rijnstraat 144-168 (De Pijp)Lambertus Zijlplein 119 (Geuzenveld)IJburglaan 605 (IJburg)Dijkgraafplein 409 (De Aker)Bijlmerplein 551 (Zuid-Oost)Holendrechtplein 15 (Zuid-Oost)Ruiseveenpad 30 (Zuid-Oost)
Ekoplaza
Ekoplaza is the main organic supermarket chain in the Netherlands with a wide selection of organic (bio) products. It is run by organic wholesaler Udea although some stores are franchised.
Obviously prices are a little higher than standard supermarkets (this is organic after all) though the quality is very good. Online purchase and delivery is available.
You can find good value items on sale weekly (offers run Wednesday to Tuesday). Ekoplaza has a loyalty program called Ekovriend which gives discounts on some items.
Ekoplaza is one of the leaders in the Dutch retail sector in reducing its reliance on plastic packaging by using alternative biodegradable materials.
EKOPLAZA store locations in Amsterdam
Ekoplaza store address (Area or Nearest Points of Interest) Waterlooplein 131 (Rembrandt House/Waterlooplein)Haarlemmerdijk 164 (near Westerpark)Elandsgracht 118 (Jordaan)Weteringschans 133-137 (Weteringsplein/Museumplein)1e Van Swindenstraat 30-32 (Oost)J.P. Heijestraat 105-111 (off Kinkerstraat)Scheldestraat 53 (Rivierenbuurt)Marathonweg 18-24 (near Olympic Stadium)A.J. Ernststraat 665 (Buitenveldert)Buikslotermeerplein 257 (Noord) [branded 'Does Reform en Natuurvoeding']
Marqt
Marqt is a high-end supermarket which sells a good range of organic goods. Prices are on the higher side and they only accept card payments. It is now run by Ekoplaza owner Udea.
Marqt store locations in Amsterdam
Marqt store addressBeethovenstraat 75Bilderdijkstraat 108Ceintuurbaan 402Haarlemmerstraat 165Hoofddorpweg 2Linnaeusstraat 70-72Olympiaplein 160Oostelijke Handelskade 1055
ALDI & Lidl
These are the discount supermarket concepts from Germany with very low prices. Store presentation is distinctly no-frills but quality of the products can be good for the price paid.
ALDI store locations in Amsterdam
ALDI store addressNieuwe Weteringstraat 24-28 (Vijzelgracht)Admiraal de Ruijterweg 56c (West/Baarsjes)Pijnackerstraat 36 (De Pijp)Gaaspstraat 41 (Rijnbuurt/Amstel)Waterlandplein 26 (Amsterdam Noord)Bolestein 41-47 (Buitenveldert)Osdorper Ban 90 (Osdorp)Karspeldreef 1235 (Zuid-Oost)Postjesweg 97H (West/Rembrandt Park)
LIDL store locations in Amsterdam
LIDL store addressAlberdingk Thijmstraat 21 (Overtoom/Leidseplein)Hemonylaan 25 (near Albert Cuyp market)Baarsjesweg 308H (Vondelpark/Rembrandt Park)August Allebeplein 269 (Rembrandt Park)Eerste van Swindenstraat 52A (Oost)Soerabajastraat 4 (Oost)Nobelweg 27 (Oost)Sara Burgerhartstraat 80 (Bos en Lommer)Delflandplein 186 (Slotervaart)Osdorpplein 572 (Osdorp)Aalbersestraat 273 (Geuzenveld)Buikslotermeerplein 121C (Amsterdam Noord)Bezaanjachtplein 289 (Amsterdam Noord)Zuideinde 280 (Amsterdam Noord)Bijlmerplein 94 (Zuid-Oost)
SPAR
SPAR has a number of franchise stores around Amsterdam. These are either SPAR City stores (mini-supermarkets) or SPAR University stores on or near university campuses. It also has Spar express stores within petrol stations.
SPAR store locations in Amsterdam
SPAR store addressRokin 113 (Dam/Spui)Nieuwe Doelenstraat 55 (Muntplein)Warmoesstraat 98H (Dam/Red Light District)Stadhouderskade 24B (Vondelpark/Leidseplein)Hobbemakade 57 (Museum Quarter/De Pijp)Sarphatistraat 225 (De Gooyer windmill)Nieuwe Kerkstraat 65 (Magere Brug)Wibautstraat 3C (Hoogeschool van Amsterdam HvA)Orlyplein 147 (Sloterdijk)Carolina Macgillavrylaan 3192 (Amsterdam Science Park)De Boelelaan 1081-1087 (VU University)
There are a number of other mid-range Dutch supermarket chains with a small presence in Amsterdam.
DekaMarkt is a mid-range supermarket with presence in the north and middle of the country. It has 5 stores in Amsterdam: at Pretoriussstraat 9 (Oost), Pampuslaan 45 (IJburg), Slotermeerlaan 67 (Slotermeer), IJdoornlaan 601 and Lange Vonder 122-124 (both Amsterdam Noord).
Coop has 2 stores in Amsterdam – at Eerste Jan Steenstraat 53 (a side street off Ferdinand Bol straat in De Pijp) and at Niersstraat 16 (Rivierenbuurt). It also has a couple of stores in Amstelveen.
PLUS has stores at Boomgaardlaan 100 and Bezaanjachtplein 291 (both Amsterdam North) and Dorpsplein 10 (Duivendrecht).
For more info on shopping in the Netherlands check out our guide to Dutch Chain Stores
This article was originally published in 2010. Last updated 22 April 2024.
Links on AmsterdamTips.com may pay us an affiliate commission.
