Scotch and Soda shop in Haarlem is in an old, beautiful building. The shop kept the old building's…read moreroom division, which means that when you enter the hall you can either go right or left for latest ladies collection, or left and straight ahead for men and kids. I really like their collections, however they are a bit pricey..but..there is always a solution for bargain hunter like me..twice a year (or more often) scotch and soda starts their sale!! It starts a bit shy with 40% max..and then continues.. I went there today and found a really cool tshirt:-) One thing that always makes me laugh (inside) is the question that I get so often from shop staff when paying for the scored piece of clothing..sth along the lines: Were you able to find something nice???Then I just feel like answering sth like...ah no..I am just paying for your charity fund. Here's your sign!!!

Good news COS is now in Haarlem. I am a big fan of COS. I love their classic and simple look for…read morewomen or men. Price is very reasonable and quality is top notch. You won't have to worry about washing it and the material diminishes in a month or two. They have a lot of nice things on the rack right now to buy.

It was about that time to Spring clean my closet. I dropped off a nice bag of clothes and…read moretableware, I was not so often using. I love donating to these types of nonprofit shops, because the items goes directly to empowering and improving the quality of life for women and children. Most of the women who work here are volunteers, so make sure to greet them with a friendly hello. Most of the time they are very helpful and pleasant. They have a variety of these shops spread out through the Netherlands. It's also always fun to shop in here, because sometimes you come across some really nice and unique items. Prices are extremely reasonable. In addition, most of the proceeds goes to a good cause as well.

I just LOVE Hema. As an American shopping in the Netherlands, I found absolutely nothing to…read morecomplain about at Hema (& was at 3 of them). The store was well lit, well organized, user friendly & carries some of the MOST BASIC items for women. (for men too I guess but I didn't really look at the men's dept.) Cotton & lycra blend tops----long sleeve, tank, short sleeve, hip length, & mid thigh---in all colors, neutrals, cerulean blue & black-- about $12-$14. Who doesn't need these? Fold up "down jacket" that was $39, (I got it on a special for $15). Faux leather tote, $29. Well fitting bras, $13. I found several pair of earrings on special $1.00. Faux leather passport/wallet-$12. I must add that everything has been washed & is of superior quality & hasn't shrunk. The tote & wallet are in still perfect condition, after months of use. ($$'s rounded off from euros) Kids clothes were amazingly priced compared to the States & if I had a larger suitcase I would have bought for my grand-daughter. Styles that were so much nicer & well made for a fraction of the cost at the Gap or Old Navy. Oh & check out their make-up dept. Super good quality, great selection & all for cheap prices. I will be back!!

A decent Hema. It is not one of the biggest I've ever seen but it is also not one of the smallest…read more They have a good selection however they are missing some food items that they have at the really big stores.

A typical Zara store located on one of the main walking streets in Haarlem. The store is a mess…read moreand the lines are long for both the fitting room and the cashier counter. A very zealous male security agent runs around the store. There is one sales associate at the check-out terminal. Customers are trying on clothing on the sales floor because the line is too long for the fitting rooms. I always check-in at Zara because they do have some cute clothes at times but the shopping experience is usually the same no matter what store I visit.

A cool shop for the young vintage lovers or hipsters. In the past I had stopped by this creative…read morehair salon/concept shop, just to take a quick peek of the shop, it was when I was on my way to another shop. I realise that I forgot to add it to the vintage list. Vind Lifestyle is a youthful vintage shop that you can kill two birds with one stone. The services that they provide are as follow: *Color, Cut, and Style *Workshops to Color Hair, Makeup and Style *Wardrobe Check *Personal Shopping *Exchange Clothing

Small shop with a nice selection of women's and children's clothing and accessories. The stock…read moreappears to be peppered with quite a few luxury brands. There's a salon on premises if you'd like to get your hair done before or after shopping.