This is a large Albert Heijin location, located at Coolsingel 47 it is opposite Stadhuis Metro…read moreStation and was 200 meters away from the Hilton Rotterdam, making it the ideal location for me to grab essentials while shopping in the city.
For tourists, Albert Heijin is the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands, it's pretty much a brand you can't hide from and it seems they have stores everywhere you look with almost 1000 stores in the Netherlands.
The store has a one-way system to enter/exit the store, you must scan a receipt to get out, this seems to be common with many AH stores, so can be difficult if you decide not to buy anything, or the item you want to purchase is out of stock.
This particular location is modern and well laid out, they do seem to be focused on the self-service checkouts, with a large number of them. The self-service checkouts did seem unattended, after I had an issue, I was unable to find a staff member to assist me, and did have to leave my shopping on one of my recent trips to the store.
I also liked how the statiegeld machine (return your plastic bottles to get your deposit back) was towards the front of the store, rather than tucked away in a back corner like other AH locations. They also have the bottled drinks towards the front of the store, by the checkouts, which also makes things easier.
They had a good selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a small bakery section, brought in by the stores' recent expansion.
Prices did seem slightly high, but not as high as other AH locations. With such market dominance, I guess they get away with it...
Modern, clean location with reasonable selection, but the service is a letdown.
3*