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Rotterdam is the number-one shopping city in South Holland. Its famous Lijnbaan and Beurstraverse shopping centers, as well as the surrounding areas, offer a dazzling variety of shops and department stores. Here you'll find all the biggest Dutch chains, like Mango, Morgan, Invito, and Sacha. The archways and fountains of the Beurstraverse, at the bottom of the Coolsingel, make this newer, pedestrianized area more pleasing to walk around. It now boasts some of the highest commercial rents in town, and even has a nickname: "Koopgoot," which can mean "shopping channel" (if you like it) or "shopping gutter" (if you don't). Exclusive shops and boutiques can be found in the Entrepotgebied, Delfshaven, Witte de Withstraat, Nieuwe and Oude Binnenweg, and Van Oldenbarneveldtstraat. West Kruiskade and its vicinity offer a wide assortment of multicultural products in the many Chinese, Surinamese, Mediterranean, and Arabic shops. The shops in the city center are open every Sunday afternoon, and there is late-night shopping (until 9) every Friday.
Look along the Voorhaven and its continuation Aelbrechtskolk, in Delfshaven, for the best antiques. On Sunday head to the Schiedamsdijk, where you can expect to find a market (noon–5) that specializes in antiques and old books.
The expansive Binnenrotteplein, between Sint Laurenskerk and Blaak station, is home to one of the largest street markets in the country (Tuesday and Saturday 9–5:30). Among the 520 stalls you can find a flea market, book market, household items, used goods, food, fish, clothes, and flowers. The market's approximately 100 food stalls are housed inside the impressive Markthal, on one side of the square, open daily and worth a visit in its own right.
De Bijenkorf is a favorite department store, the best in Rotterdam, designed by Marcel Breuer (the great Bauhaus architect) with an exterior that looks like its name, a beehive. There's a good range of clothing and shoes from both designers and the store's own label, plus a selection of cosmetics and perfume on the ground floor. De Bijenkorf is well known for its excellent household-goods line, ranging from lights and furniture to sumptuous fabrics and rugs.
Dille & Kamille is a fantastic store for anyone interested in cooking. From herbs to sturdy wooden spoons to recipe books, this is a browser's heaven. It is one of the few shops in the Netherlands that still carries traditional Dutch household items, such as a huge water kettle to make tea for 25, a nutmeg mill, or a zeepklopper, a device that holds a bar of soap and can whip up bubbles—a forerunner to liquid dish-washing detergent.
MAMA encourages the collaboration of emerging experimental artists. If you're looking for new, exciting, and innovative art with high standards, you'll find it here. Some of the work may shock; some might make you laugh out loud in delight; but all of it is art critic–worthy. Consider film- and video-based art by the Dutch Galleon of Mayhem or inflatable sculptures by a group of "artoonists," including a giant rabbit by Florentijn Hofman. The gallery is open Wednesday–Sunday 1–6.
On Van Oldenbarneveldtstraat, prices rise as stores get more label-based. Van Dijk stocks Stella McCartney, Paul Smith, and many others, and the owner, Wendela, has two of her own design labels. You can find trendy shoes, bags, and accessories here.
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