Where in Amsterdam do you...?

Question

Where do you buy your dvds, music, groceries?? Like here in the US, we have Wal-Mart and Target to go to get everything, but where in Amsterdam in the city do you get all your things?? Different shops or is there a one shop place like here??

Answer 1

In Amsterdam there are not big "malls" in the centre, and nor are the supermarkets on the same scale as the US

When you live in a city such as Amsterdam you soon start to orientate yourself to find items which are both good quality but cheaper

I live just outside of Amsterdam and basically buy fresh things (fruit, veg, meat etc from the markets that tour around from town to town, so not fixed).  In Amsterdam you have several fixed markets such the Albert Cuyp market being the most famous http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Cuyp... to get goods at a good price

Then it is a case of going around different stores to get what you want.  Supermarkets mainly stick to food & drink items (because of the space limitiation).  There are really cheap supermarkets such as Lidl, Aldi etc which stock unbranded goods but the selection is limited.  Good for bulk buying things though.  Then you have cheaper end supermarkets such as Jumbo and Dirk, which offer more selection.  Then Albert Heijn offers more "quality" ranges and brand, but with exception of the home-brand & Euroshopper brand, the price reflects this as well (more expensive)

As I said, when you live in a city, you of course shop around and then built up a knowledge of where to go to get certain things, but in Amsterdam this means shopping around different locations yes.

Answer 2

Well, mostly around the city center with the shopping streets. The Free Record Shop is a good place for DVDs and CDs. As for groceries you just have to find a supermarket close to where you live, so that it's most convenient. Albert Heijn is a supermarket which is relatively expensive but has good quality products. If you want something cheaper C-1000 or Aldi is something you might look into.

In other words, you start shopping from where you live. There are plenty of supermarkets around residential areas. As for DVD and CD stores (as well as clothing stores, etc.) they are more scattered than the Wal-Marts in the US which are much larger and consequently less spread out. Holland is of course much smaller than the US, so huge shopping arenas would be pretty impractical. We prefer our city/village centers with many smaller shops. Of course capitalism is kicking in like in most other places, and the internet is becoming increasingly popular for all sorts of purchases.