Shopping and groceries in the Netherlands

Supermarkets usually open from eight in the morning to eight or ten in the evening, and most in cities also operate on Sunday with shorter hours, while in small villages they may close on Sunday.

• Ordinary shops start at ten or eleven and close at about six, and there is a shopping evening (koopavond) weekly in some cities.
• Markets are held on set days and sell vegetables, fruit, cheese and fish at good prices.
• Household goods stores, HEMA and Action open at low prices.
• There are small grocery shops (avondwinkel) open late at higher prices.
• On public holidays most shops close or work limited hours.

Debit cards (Maestro or V Pay and now Debit Mastercard or Visa) are accepted everywhere, and some shops do not accept foreign credit cards, and some markets accept cash only, so carry some cash.

• You pay online via iDEAL, a safe bank payment method, and transfer between friends via Tikkie.
• Chains offer bonus cards (bonuskaart) and apps that give you weekly discounts (bonus), so register with them.
• Compare prices and look for aanbiedingen, meaning offers.
• Shops offer ways to buy without a plastic bag, so bring your bag.
• Unit prices (prijs per kilo) are written for comparison.
• Drink containers carry a deposit (statiegeld) that you recover when you return them to the return machine.

For halal meat halal butchers (halal slagerij) and Turkish, Moroccan and Arab shops are widespread in most cities, and halal products are sold in some large chains such as Albert Heijn and Jumbo in a special corner.

• Read the ingredient list (ingrediënten) and look for gelatine, alcohol and animal flavourings and for a recognised halal seal.
• Fish and vegetarian foods are also available.
• For spices, rice and legumes the special kinds are found in Asian food stores (toko) and Middle Eastern shops.
• Weekly markets are held that contain foods from varied cultures.
• Do not hesitate to ask the seller about the source of the meat and type of slaughter, which is normal.

Many Dutch people buy and sell second-hand via Marktplaats.nl and the Vinted app for clothes, and second-hand goods shops (kringloopwinkel) are widespread that sell furniture, household tools and clothes at low prices and support social projects.

• When buying from individuals inspect the item in person and pay cash or by card on receipt, and avoid transferring money in advance to a seller you do not know.
• For new furniture there are IKEA, Leen Bakker and Beter Bed.
• Check delivery times and cost.
• In some cities large-waste (grofvuil) collection takes place where old things are left, and collected by appointment with the municipality, so check it.

When buying online from a shop in the EU you have the right of withdrawal (herroepingsrecht) within 14 days of receiving the goods without giving a reason, and you get the money back within 14 days of telling the seller of the decision, and you may bear the return cost unless the seller says otherwise.

• It does not apply to some goods such as those made for you or consumed.
• And for a defective item there is a statutory warranty for a suitable time that varies by its expected life, often between two years and more, and you have the right to repair, replacement or refund.
• In physical shops there is no legal right to return a sound item, but many give a voluntary period.
• Keep receipts, check the shop's reputation by the Thuiswinkel Waarborg quality mark, and report fraud to the Fraudehelpdesk.

How many days is the right of withdrawal in online purchases?