No matter where you are coming from, you will end up at a Dutch supermarket. But what is the difference between them? How do they compare to supermarkets in other countries? What are their equivalents in other countries? Here, I try to break it down.
Dutch Supermarket chains
Starting in the simplest way, the main supermarkets in the country are:
– Albert Heijn (aka de AH, de Appie, de Appie Heijn).
– Jumbo
– Plus
– Coop
Jumbo is the next biggest, having taken over Super de Boer and C1000 (both defunct). It is owned by the van Eerd family, who might be the richest family in the country. Jumbo tends to be slightly cheaper than AH. It doesn’t have a bonus card scheme. It is probably most akin to Morrisons
PLUS is a cooperative and probably the third largest in the country. In 2018 and 2019 it won an award for being the most consumer friendly in the country. A tricky one to place but somewhere between the Co-op and Morrisons
Coop is, unsurprisingly, a co-operative and are usually found in residential areas although larger Supercoop versions can be found. Their equivalent is the Co-op.
Non-Dutch Supermarket Chains
Of course, the supermarket scene is just limited to Dutch shops. There are also foreign owned supermarkets in the country.
Lidl is probably the best known. Like elsewhere they have their famed middle aisle. You go in for a weekly shop and leave with a tool set and an inflatable boat. They often have a nationality theme, and British week is a good time to get cheddar and bacon, and sometimes Real Ale, for lower cost than an expat shop.
ALDI is another well known German chain although in The Netherlands is ALDI Market, not ALDI Süd that is found in the UK. The logo is different and the shop is itself different. In my opinion Aldi Süd is better, unfortunately.
Spar is more a convience store than anything, generally found in city centres. A handy place to buy one or two items that perhaps you have forgotten.
There are other smaller supermarkets found around the country such as Dirk, Jan Linders, or Hoogvliet.
What is the difference between supermarkets in The Netherlands and, say, the UK, Germany, or France?
The biggest difference is the size. Dutch supermarkets are generally smaller, even the XL ones, and as such have a smaller selection of stock. This is not usually an issue unless you are looking for a more speciality products.
Dutch supermarkets rarely have an in-house butcher or fishmonger. While there may be a bakery section or a cheese counter, do not expect a wide variety of cheese, unless it is different types of Dutch cheese (delicious though it is, you will not be finding Stinking Bishop or Welsh Black Bomber here).
Some types of meat will also be harder to find: a Christmas ham, or lamb are hard to come by in a Dutch supermarket. That said around different occasions like Christmas they will stock more special cuts but think lamb cutlets, rather than a leg of lamb.
Spirits are not sold in supermarkets in The Netherlands. Anything strong than fortified wine (port, sherry, so around 16-20%) is available. Instead you have to go to a slijterij (liquor store). Handily, many supermarkets usually will have one attached, either owned by the supermarket itself, or a specialist shop such as Gall&Gall.
Specialist shops
The butcher, baker, cheesemonger, green grocer, wine merchant – these all exist in any Dutch city. If you want a specific type of meat (a rib of beef for a Sunday roast or a leg of lamb, for example), go to your local butcher. You may have to order it specifically, and it will be more expensive than in the UK, but they will be able to get it for you. Just do your research for the Dutch term so you can be sure you will get the right thing. Met of zonder been means with or without bone and is one important term.
Cheese mongers stock an excellent array of foreign and Dutch cheeses. The greengrocer is like any other were seasonal veg is in abundance, and tastes so much better.
The slijterij more than makes up for the inconvenience of not being in the supermarket by stocking more spirits and wines than you would normally find in the UK. They also stock special beers such as strong Belgians ales. While more and more supermarkets stock Ales, IPAs, stouts etc, from Dutch breweries (or those owned by Heineken), the slijterij has a wider selection. One I know in Arnhem is like a Cave of Wonders for beers.
For your Christmas turkey, I cannot recommend enough looking up a local poelier (poultry farmer) to get exactly what you need. They also have your duck or goose fat got those perfect crispy roast potatoes.
Every city has an Asian supermarket where you can buy everything you would need for Asian cuisine. Albert Heijn, Jumbo do carry a limited amount of stock of international cuisines such as Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Indoniesian or Surinamese but for a wider, and cheaper, selection the equivalent Asian supermarket is your friend.
As always, there are plenty of Dutch websites where more speciality products can be purchased, from meats to cheese, to beers.
Convenience stores
Spar probably has the widest selection for a convenience store in The Netherlands but the most ubiquitous is likley to be the AH To Go, as it is found at most Dutch train stations. The Kiosk is generall found on station platforms. These sell cold drinks, including beer, hot drinks, hot snacks such as sausage rolls, sandwiches and other snacks.
The Avondwinkel is almost something of a bygone era but these still exist. In the past Dutch supermarkets closed around 20h and on Sundays almost not at all. This gap was filled by the avondwinkel where you could get some basic stapels like pasta until around middnight. It used to be the case that only a certain amount of supermarkets could open per number of inhabitants within a certain radius on a Sunday, and then only from 16h-20h. This changed around 2017. Be glad you do not have to feel this pain! The avondwinkels still exist but their need is less.
Praticalities
Of course, it wouldn’t be right to not have some more differences between Dutch supermarkets and others so it is worth listing them here:
1. Credit Cards – As a rule, you will not be able to pay with a credit card for your shopping. If you are trying to use anything other than Maestro you may also struggle (this varies between shops). You will want to get yourself a Dutch/Maestro card quickly. See here for more info
2. Bottles and statiegeld – when you buy a large plastic bottle, such as a 2l bottle of water, or you buy a crate of beer, you will be charged statiegeld on top of the cost price. This is a bottle deposit and can be redeemed by bringing the empty bottle back to the shop and placing it in the bottle return machine, usually found at the back of the supermarket. The statiegeld on an individual bottle of beer is 10 cents, a plastic bottle 25 cents, and a crate of beer (with all the bottles) €3.90. Not all beer bottles have this. For example, craft beer bottles generally do not. It is usually stated on the bottle. N.B. Lidl/Aldi bottles can only be returned to their respective shop. A-Brand bottles can be returned to any supermarkets
3. Rounding – The Dutch abolished the use of 1 and 2 cent coins ( thankfully, they were a right pain), which means that pricing is rounded up or down at the till. So if the total comes to €43.43, you can expect to pay €43.45. Although €43.42 would be rounded down. This generally only happens if paying by cash. Paying by card is not rounded.
4. Bags – like most places, the Dutch charge for a plastic bag. Save yourself money, and help the environment by bringing your own. You can still buy them at the till though, should you forget one.
5. Parking – in a city, parking at the supermarket is going to be tricky if not impossible. You will probably also go by bike. If you can, you can buy bike bags (fietszakken)/ paniers, or you can have straps to secure it to your carrier. If your bike has none of these: bring a rucksack.
Home Delivery
Don’t fancy cycling or walking to the shop? Or maybe having a big party and can’t carry it all back? At least Albert Heijn and Jumbo offer home delivery, at a cost.
The meal kit services also exist in The Netherlands such as HelloFresh, Marley Spoon, and Albert Heijn Allerhande.
Some supermarkets also only exist online, like Picnic.
Being Dutched 