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Whether you go for Baroque antiques or cutting-edge fashion, the variety of goods available in Amsterdam’s boutiques, street markets, and concept stores is mind-boggling, and hunting for that special purchase akin to grand entertainment.
If you enjoy the thrill of the chase, explore the charming, mazelike streets of the Jordaan and The Nine Streets, in the Western Canal Ring, where you'll stumble upon a surprising number of vintage fashion boutiques, high-end denim brands, art galleries, local design outlets, and specialty-food stores.
For high-end shopping, Amsterdam's priciest street is the P.?C. Hooftstraat, in the Museum District–-affectionately called "the P.?C." (pronounced “pay say”). Porsches and Range Rovers are parked on the street, and many shop interiors mimic stately Dutch mansions, replete with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and antique furnishings. Don't neglect the nearby Van Baerlestraat, Willemsparkweg, and Cornelis Schuytstraat, where you're likely to discover a hyperchic home accessory or premium investment piece for your wardrobe. At the other end of the scale, join the crowds on the Leidsestraat, Kalverstraat, Damrak, Rokin, and Nieuwendijk, where flagship stores, major chains, and department stores stand shoulder-to-shoulder with inexpensive fashion outlets and cheesy souvenir shops.
If that's all a bit too noisy and crowded, head to the Spiegelkwartier for a quieter, more refined shopping experience, with proportionately escalated prices. You’ll find elegant antiques shops whose beautiful displays include antique art, maps, furnishings, jewelry, and clocks. Collectors, museum curators, and antiques dealers routinely shop here for old Delft and Makkum treasures. If you have time, visit one of the daily outdoor markets: the bustling Albert Cuypmarkt in De Pijp is one of the oldest and best known. Be sure to explore the neighborhood’s many concept stores and hip indie boutiques as well, and make a pilgrimage to nearby Utrechtsestraat for its fantastic food, fashion, and lifestyle stores. There are lesser-known Sunday markets, like the organic Pure Markt at Frankendael Park and the Maker Market at De Hallen, or check out the Sunday Market and Neighbourfood Market at Westergasfabriek.
Swedish stylist-turned-designer Ulrika Lundgren's boutique may be smaller than your walk-in closet, but her designs are shipped all over the world. Her style—look like a rock star without trying to look like a rock star—is so popular that Ulrika has also launched a magazine.
When hunting for a rare piece of 17th-century Delftware, an 18th-century Dutch commode with lacquered panels, or some Italian Renaissance majolica, museum curators and collectors often do their shopping at this 150-year-old fixture on the local antiques scene.
This venerable company offers an up-to-date collection of jewelry, watches, and luxury accessories from brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard, and Gianfranco Bigli, as well as their own Highlights Collection. Check the website for information on their Patek Philippe, Hublot, IWC, and Rolex boutiques, Diamonds Boutique, and Vintage Watches store.
This modern skating outlet stocks ice skates in all styles, from wintertime canal gliding to hockey, and is also the Netherlands' largest in-line skate shop. There are also a wide variety of skateboards, from Penny boards and cruisers to longboards and e-boards. You'll find top brands such as Rollerblade, K2, Powerslide, Viking, Raps, Bauer, CCM, a large variety of noren, the most popular style of speed skates for adults, as well as training skates for children.
Cosmetics junkies can get their fix at this beautiful shop with an outstanding assortment of global beauty, skincare, lifestyle, and fragrance brands, including niche names such as Kilian, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Nasomatto, Susanne Kaufmann, and MenScience. There is a second location in the Van Baerle Shopping Gallery in the Museum District.
This men's fashion mainstay of the Museum District is a noted purveyor of all the sartorial classics that style- and status-conscious men aspire to, with made-to-measure suits, luxury casual clothing and labels like Corneliani, Piacenza, Profuomo, and Scuderi.
This little shop combs a big world for robots, toys, and memorabilia from TV and film. It's best known for its extensive collection of Star Wars toys, but you'll also find Marvel and DC superhero action figures and Japanese designer toys.
With a slew of uppity galleries as neighbors, this shop has some keeping up to do—and it does. Tamago sells a mix of consigned and vintage fashion and accessories by labels such as Marni, Chanel, and Hermès, as well as new designer collections.
This bustling neighborhood market (Monday through Saturday) has been a bargain hunter's paradise for more than a century. Fill up on fresh produce, cheese, hummus, and wine while browsing through the racks of clothing, flowers, fabrics, and plenty more.
This chocolate-box-size shop specializes in premium international chocolate brands, such as Amsterdam-based Chocolate Makers and Original Beans, Blanxart from Barcelona, and Mexican chocolate specialist Taza. There are also handmade chocolate bonbons in flavors such as almond brûlée, salted peanut caramel, and lemongrass.
Calling itself the “epicentre of Dutch design,” this 3,229-square-foot store at the W Amsterdam claims to have the world's best collection of Dutch fashion, art, and design. Its notable lineup features around 60 local labels, including important designers like Maarten Baas, Jelle Mastenbroek, and GHYCZY, as well as high-end fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands like Victor&Rolf, Rijkje Jewelry, and Fugazzi fragrances. Up-and-coming artists and designers are represented, too, and there are occasional art exhibitions and launch parties.
Founded in 1979, Zipper is one of the oldest secondhand stores in Amsterdam. It's driven by one family’s love for vintage goods, and obviously, a place for vintage fashion hounds. The 1980s are highly regarded here, although amid Wrangler corduroys, logo sweatshirts, and trucker hats, you'll find plenty more quality fashion pieces from decades past. There's a second store at Haarlemmerstraat 8.
You'll feel like you've traveled back to the Roaring '20s when entering this hat shop, with its flapper-style cloches, flatcaps, and fedoras. Purchase bespoke sinamay hairpieces and modern men's and women's hats in every style and color.
Much-lauded Dutch footwear designer Fred de la Bretoniere has been selling men's and women's leather footwear since 1970. It's no surprise that his handiwork—combining simplicity, style, sustainability, craftsmanship, and quality—has been entered into the permanent collections of several Dutch design museums. This is the shop to find a classic style that still lets you walk with your own unique verve. There is another location on Utrechtsestraat 77 in the Eastern Canal Belt and at Van Baerlestraat 44V in Oud-Zuid.
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