Amsterdam - Shopping

In Amsterdam's principal shopping streets can be found both exclusive shops and department stores of international standing. Favorite shopping areas are pedestrian zones like Kalverstraat (many shoe shops; Vroom & Dreesmann's department store), Nieuwendijk (Hema department store, with low-priced goods), Heiligeweg, Winkelcentrum Amsterdam-Noord and Amsterdam-Poort. Amsterdam's oldest department store, the Bijenkorf ("Beehive"), at Damrak 90, sells a wide range of goods of excellent quality.

Between the Amsterdam grachten (canals) there are a variety of small shops and boutiques selling an extraordinary range of goods. They include a number of highly specialized shops - one selling nothing but cookery books, another which stocks kites of all kinds, either in kit form or ready to fly. Amsterdam has more than a dozen markets, including the flea market in Waterlooplein and the floating flower market in the Singel.

Other shopping facilities are offered by the city's second-hand bookshops, shops for collectors and shops selling craft articles of various kinds.