Selection seemed small but compare to the US, prices were cheaper. Not as cheap as Italy, but still…read morebetter! Employees were nice and said hello upon entering. They also went out of their way to show me suggestions for what I was shopping for. Didn't find exactly the wallet I liked, but they were very nice, welcoming, non-judgmental despite being in scruffy vacation outfits.

Great staff!! I wanted a special bag and the service rep even held it for me when I said I would…read morereturn the next day. They gave me flavored sparkling water while I looked around the store as well.

Oh my gosh, what is not to love about this place. I love discovering new places when I'm in…read moreforeign countries, and this is one I kept wanting to go back to the whole time we were in Amsterdam! I swear, it's just a huge department type store, but again, there's just something about the newness of it to me that made it so great. For those of you from the states, to me, it reminded me a bit of a mix between a Target and a major department store. A bit of everything at affordable prices. We stopped in here a few times for a few things we needed on our trip and even once for a snack. I am a huge lover of smoked meats and cheese, so when we saw that we could get their famous smoked sausage on a roll for £2 and an ice cream sundae for £1 we were all about it and quite happy for it. One thing I miss living in the UK are smoked meats and sausages. Proper smoked meats and sausages. This really hit the spot. I was really tempted to buy stuff to bring back for my home in Glasgow, but figured it would be a pain to drag everything back when I could just get stuff once I got home if I wanted. Instead, I bought a really cool green ink pen for uni, some stroop waffles for the boyfriend and some candles for a birthday we were celebrating while in Amsterdam! Definitly a fan of Hema and will shop here again if ever given the chance!

The HEMA is absolutely famous in Holland. In the cities you can find one at every corner of the…read morestreet, and every village has one as well. The Hema is not only a warehouse, its more.. It is a customer-friendly store with an unique profile. HEMA distinguishes itself from other retailers by selling its own brand. Every day, week and/or month you can find new offers on products for daily use, all with its own assortment. HEMA products are convenient, practical, attractive and of good quality. It even got to a point that HEMA became a fashion icon, with Dutch celebrities starting to wear basic t-shirts with nothing but the red HEMA line on it.. While living abroad, the HEMA is definitely absent in the German streets..How can people live without it??!! Im sure the Dutch cant... It will fit perfectly.. with Germany being famous for the Wurst...Well, at the HEMA we sell the famous `Rookworst`!

Great Hema winkle in the Station Amsterdam Centraal. It's not small by any means but smaller than a…read morelot of their other locations. But the selection is close to what you'd find down on Kalverstraat or de Kinkerstraat. Most of the staff appears to be laboring away at that food area near the front window. People do line up to buy that stuff. It does look good! So I guess if and when I'm traveling in a hurry and want something prepared, I'll go there. The Hema person working there smiled at me today when I was shopping, looking at the fresh bread selection. I had my face mask on and even though I smiled back, not sure if she saw it. I think she did. Nice place. One of the flagship stores at Centraal station. I'm so glad it's open again!

I guess the best analogy I can make of Hema to any store in the US would be that it is similar to a…read moreTarget. They are all over the city, super convenient and carry items of utility for low prices (well by European standards). After coming from the other side of the Equator (and clearly not well prepared for the brutal Dutch wind), my fingers were about to fall off from frostbite. I came in here desperately seeking warmth and shelter from the snow and wind. Oh yea, I needed gloves too. I found a nice pair of fleece gloves for 7 Euros. Hey, not too bad. They kept me warm the whole time I was in A'stam and now I have them safely stowed away in my luggage, ready for another use and hopefully in back in the land of Hema :-)

Wohoo, this is my winkelcentrum!…read more Not only it's where I live, but the name is the same name as my home country. It's my home away from home, because I'm here all the time! With two major supermarkets, big garage space underground, gym, flower shop, two drugstores, health foods store, bakery, fish and butcher place.. It's got it all. Plus, a fries place that doesn't suck, with great fries! The neighbourhood feels super "homey", and you can always sit on one of the branches to look at the channel and the boats (there is a sailing school there!) There is a also a big pet shop and a big jumbo supermarket! Im giving it a 5 stars because the structure could look better (they stopped constructing after a while so it looks a bit unfinished, but it looks alright, I just think it could look better), but hey, it's all about the content, right? ;) If you live nearby, make here your shopping stop for all your needs.

A five story Primark store in the heart of Amsterdam and provide an escalator or elevator for the…read morejourney up. The wife needed a few pairs of longer socks for our next country of Ireland which is colder than most of Europe right now, especially at night. They only had a small selection of the high socks and not the right size, but settled for a pair of sandals for 1.3€ - what a deal. We've been to several Primarks in the United States but the size of this one is overwhelming. FYI: this was NOT a paid attraction in Amsterdam.

I stumbled on this Primark while exploring the endless canals. I had no idea they have stores…read moreoutside of the states. From the outside, it seems it would not be big; however, to my surprise, there are multiple levels and sectioned for any and everything you can think of. Men/Women/Children's clothing, accessories, makeup, etc. It was like a maze! Needless to say, for that reason I was inside far longer than I anticipated. One thing they have in common is the same great prices. I guess that may be a company standard worldwide, which is a good thing! I purchased an adorable bucket hat and a few other accessories as keepsakes.

Fantastic shop! Real raincoats for real Amsterdam rain and other items that actually make sense in…read morethis beautiful rainy, windy city. Their women's shoe collection is a bit limited but they have great real leather, real winter boots that are less expensive than a lot of inadequate footware around. The cherry on the cake is how friendly and helpful the sales guy was. Definitely will be going back.

I went in here when they first opened and all I could think is, what a bunch of junk. But it's kind…read moreof like dollar or pound shops, you have to know the art to shopping here: - You should be looking for something specific - Limit your list to candles, batteries, some beauty products, candy, bottled water, kitchen utensils - Don't try to buy socks, makeup, jewelry, pillows, etc. here I found bike light batteries 5 for 1 euro. They were 2 for 4 euros at Hema and 2 for 6 euros at Blokker (both of which were sold out when I tried to buy them there first, and then on a whim thought to try the Big Bazar), so this is a significant savings. I also bought a spatula for 99 cents. They are open til 7pm during the week which is nice. Enjoy your savings!

This was one of my last shopping stops prior to getting back on our cruise ship. There were…read morewonderful very unique gifts that I brought back for friends and more things that I ended up keeping for myself. They had really cool mirror cut outs that were shaped as birds and other fun designs. I still kick myself for not buying them. If you are on a cruise this is definitely not to miss especially since you are so close to the ship.

This is a great place to check out when you are in the neighborhood because you are about to board…read morea cruise ship, rent a bike, or have gone to Subway. Everything here is kind of pricey, and impractical if you are just looking for common day-to-day items, but it's great if you're looking for unique souvenirs and want to remember your time in Holland. Even if you have no plans to buy anything, it's still worth taking a look inside the shop, as many of the items they have are very entertaining.

Is this a Target or Walmart? It seems like a commercial department store. Were still in search of…read moreextra socks and underwear. This store has a full service coffee and pastry shop near the entrance. Four floors were too many for me at this point - feet are killing me from walking. Very nice organized store with an abundance if tourists, but no sale for me today.

Spoiler alert: I am not a local. I'm in the Netherlands for an event and decided to make a trip of…read moreit, so I am spending a lot of time poking around. Instead of (ahem--in addition to) the usual souvenirs, I wanted to pick up some clothing items, so I have been popping into clothing stores here and there. Depending on which location you go to, Hema might be mostly clothing or more of a department store. Either way, you'll find staples at good prices. If disaster has befallen you and your last few clean shirts? Hema has you covered. The disaster happened to be your shampoo or gel exploding? Hema. I really like the dressing room situation--most locations have an attendant to guide you to an open cubicle when you have found what you want to try on and take any items that didn't work out when you're done.