GROCERY SHOPPING GUIDE FOR THE NETHERLANDS

In this episode, Michelle and Alex break down the many grocery stores in the Netherlands, from the major players Albert Heijn and Jumbo to discount chains Dirk and Aldi, and even have their first experience inside the bougie Ekoplaza. Find out which Dutch grocery store is right for you!
Episode 68 · Filmed on June 17, 2023 · Dordrecht, the Netherlands
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0:00 Introduction
0:58 Weekly markets!
1:12 What do we buy at a weekly market vs. grocery store?
1:36 Albert Heijn
2:23 Jumbo
3:01 Which do we prefer: Albert Heijn or Jumbo?
3:57 Discount stores
4:05 Dirk
4:25 Aldi
4:54 Lidl
5:13 The discount aisle
5:26 How do we save money at the grocery store?
5:56 Organic stores
6:08 Ekoplaza
6:41 What did we think of Ekoplaza?
7:45 Spar
7:52 Our tips for shopping at Dutch supermarkets
9:35 Wrap up
#expatlife #netherlands #groceryshopping #grocerystore
---
WHO IS BUNCHARTED?
We're Michelle and Alex, a travel-obsessed American couple living abroad in the Netherlands.
In 2020, we quit our jobs to travel the world, and... yeah, that didn't happen. So in 2022, we decided to make an even BIGGER change, packing up our lives (and our cats 🐈), moving from Austin, Texas, to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Subscribe for new videos like this every week!

[@josh_prada]

As we prepare to move from Indianapolis to Groningen in a few weeks, your videos have been very helpful. Hope to welcome you in Groningen soon to thank you in person. J and W

[@buncharted]

so glad we can help!!

[@marcohollander6640]

I've lived my whole live in Groningen and it's a fantastic town to live in. Maybe not centered enough for some people, but it's a vibrant and walkable city. Start ordering your bikes for when you come here😉. Can I ask the reason for your move to Groningen? And Michelle and Alex you should definitely pay a visit to Groningen soon.

[@josh_prada]

@marcohollander6640 thanks for your response :) we're so excited. I've visited Groningen twice and I fell in love with the city straight away. Just a lovely town with a rare balance between calmness and energy. And yes, we'll be getting our bikes as soon as we get there!

[@DreHill1]

Welcome to Groningen!

[@josh_prada]

@@DreHill1 thank you!

[@tmwister_vlogs994]

Small addition to the refundable security deposit portion. Since April 1, all cans of drinks have a refundable deposit. There is no deposit on cans with liquids that are not intended for drinking directly, such as lemonade syrup, thick juice and soup. There is also no refundable deposit on other cans, such as frankfurters, other meat products and vegetables. Because old stocks of cans in stores must first be cleared, there may be both refundable and non-refundable cans on the shelves. The cans with a refundable deposit can be recognized by a deposit logo. In addition, the can must have an undamaged barcode and be in good condition. In most cases you can put these cans in the same machine that you can put the plastic bottles in.

[@strobi0001]

That is so anoying, i always collect these in the backpack that i use for shopping but sometimes I see a real lineup at the machine some guys are returning houndreds of cans and bottles and obviously block the machine for like 15 minutes and then I either throw away the cans or carry home and my groceries does not fit in my bag.

[@Stadtionalist]

Another small addition to the 'statiegeld' portion, pretty sure it is NOT included in the sticker price. Value added taxes / sales taxes (btw) are tho

[@claudiazaatable]

Tip: the A brands are always in the middle, housebrands are below that and a little bit cheaper (but most of the time they are made by/at the same maker/factory)

[@JeacoMeiyin]

Just for anyone watching who isn’t Dutch, this is a regional-influenced video. I live in a city up north where there’s a bunch of inner city Jumbo and Albert Heijn ;) Next to that I think an important (growing) part of Dutch grocery shopping is home delivery services such as Gorillas, Getyr and Picnic. (Oh, and the fact that as soon as you live anywhere semi-close to the German border, it is very normal to shop across country borders)

[@adema1978]

True, in my hometown Jumbo is in the city centre with a good lunch corner.

[@PaulaBean]

Near to my house is a small AH with a decent selection. When I want something special, I bicycle to a giant Jumbo that has a huge selection. It really depends on floor space.

[@EliasFabricius]

Yesss German grocery stores for the winnnn

[@Dafoodmaster]

Dekamarkt is my favorite at the moment. Straddles the line between Dirk like prices but with a little nicer homely store atmosphere. Reminds me of the ones from my childhood. Great sales too!

[@fpwest1526]

Thanks for the refresher on Albert Heijn etiqutte. When we were there in 2018, I loved going in. I forgot about the exit scanners for getting out. It's a good reminder for our upcoming trip.

[@InWeCome]

Albert Heijn is actually one of the cheapest non-discount stores if you only focus on their wide selection of weekly deals. And they have personalized weekly deals as well. I prefer to shop at Albert Heijn and Lidl.

[@Michael.Barath]

Thanks Guys - this was awesome for someone who is new in the Netherlands. Jumbo is my go to. Thanks for the great content.

[@ivo215]

About the creditcard payments. Most cash registers or checkouts support contactless payments these day. Especially since corona. Contactless payments are made using NFC. You can use your phone with a payment app. Any banking app, or Google-pay or Apple-pay will do. And most (if not all) of the NFC-readers on the checkouts also support Visa, Mastercards and American Express. If you want to pay the 'normal/old' way, the cash registers only support Maestro/Vpay cards. If you use the contactless NFC-reader, almost anything goes, including credit cards.

[@MxSheep]

The "statiegeld" or return you bottle thing you mention has been expended. now also includes small plastic drink bottles and soda/beer cans. I'm also missing the mention of delivery groceries, but that could probably be a whole video on it's own. personally I do a combi of AH and Picnic.

[@theburnix]

LOL seeing how you took the shots of the different shops were in Dordrecht, my hometown and home to one of the best weekend farmersmarkets in the Netherlands

[@jfkoetse]

As I live near the border of Germany, we often go there for shopping. The Edeka is a nice store (sometimes with a completely different name, like in the city of Leer, you'll find the Mülti, or in Meppen the Marktkauf, both owned by Edeka), and we olso shop at Kaufland, which belongs to the same organisation as Lidl.

[@MelissaPhillips-nj5sb]

American here, who has been in the Netherlands for the last 3 summers. My favorite grocery store is Albert Hein. My favorite love is the open air markets. We shop like the locals several times a week. I almost always go in with an open mind and try to go for the special discounts, then its very good prices, especially compared to the US. Get to buy things you don't actually know, and we are usually very happy. Food quality is good in the Netherlands.

[@joop1991]

8:30 You can also weigh produce at the self checkout. 8:52 The table with the (scanner) window in it also has a scale build in it. Just put your produce on it and select the appropriate product in the computer.

[@marcblokpoel]

In the center of Dordrecht there is indeed no Jumbo. But on the Krispijnseweg (not that far from the center) you'll find a small Jumbo. Also, the Dirk in the center is quite small, on the Brouwersdijk and in Crabbehof the Dirk is way bigger. Jumbo in Sterreburg is a giant one, and the AH at Maasplaza (also quite close to the center) is also fairly big. You missed the Plus and maybe try the Avantage (mainly Turkish based), also about three of them in Dordrecht.

[@lillekenatnek195]

What I like about my favorite grocery store is that it sells groceries and its a store.

[@buncharted]

that is definitely a plus 😂

[@Blackadder75]

I used to go to 6 or more different grocery stores, as you say we have so many in every city, so I could go to any without time loss, just by choosing a different route from work. But Jumbo and AH have bought up much of the competition , it's basically only those 2 left + the Aldi and Lidl , which I also sometimes visit. they all have strong and weak points so I like to visit them all.

[@oldjaggy]

Finally nice weather for you guys

[@buncharted]

i know!

[@FrankHouwelingBoskoop]

I often go to Lidl these days. I love the fruit & veg and their bake-off is also really good. They are great for the basics but they don't offer many items I need so I'll get them at Albert Heijn which is my favorite supermarket, if money wouldn't be an issue. With AH, there is a lot of difference from location to location, but generally I like the big ones. I come to Plus more often than I would like since I dislike the supermarket, it's just really close to my home and convenient for a fast grocery trip.

[@tiaxanderson9725]

My goto is usually Lidl because of the fresh bakery, but I have an Albert Hein and a Nettorama nearby. Other than that, when I was in Friesland (I did the 200 km Elfstedentocht by kayak spread over 5 days, so I got to visit lost of different places) I saw Poiesz everywhere.

[@toprob20]

Ha! You missed something!!! Small plastic bottles also have statiegeld, and recently even aluminium drink cans have 15 cents statiegeld. So don't throw them away and don't crumple them because they won't scan "o

[@jackvandersluis1723]

Buncharted team, very nice video! 👍👍👏👏

[@kevinchau2761]

My regular supermarkt is the Plus because it's only 5 streets away from my house, they also get their vlaai fresh from a local bakery so it's the best place to get vlaai around here. However, we usually buy stuff that's on discount every week so it's a mix of the AH, Plus, Jan Linders, Lidl and Aldi, which are pretty much all the nearby stores. My family is Chinese so we will also often take the car to an Amazing Oriental in a different city to stock up on Asian goods. Imo it counts as an (Asian) supermarket chain considering its size and how many stores there are haha

[@dammers88]

I love your videos! you are getting more dutch every week even with using the flyer😂

[@davidc.w.2908]

We go to ShopRite (local stores in New Jersey only), a no name store for fruit and vegetables, Aldi, Lidl and Walmart for items the other stores don’t have. When traveling we occasionally also go to Whole Foods. They are expensive but sell some items we can eat either in a restaurant at the store or while we are walking through the city. Separately, we sometimes visit the liquor store because in New Jersey, grocery stores aren’t allowed to sell alcohol. Liquor stores are not close to grocery stores, like often is the case in the Netherlands.

[@kokkie85]

Both Albert Heijn and Jumbo also have a free app where you can also the weekly discounts so you don’t have to look for the flyer

[@heartshinemusic]

Albert Heijn is the OG Dutch supermarket. It's where my grandma already did her shopping in the early 80's. Jumbo is a fairly new brand. Yes, Albert Heijn is known to be the most expensive supermarket, BUT when you buy things that are "in de bonus" (or 1+1 gratis) they're actually way cheaper than Jumbo or even Dirk. (Of course they have discounts too.) You just have to pay attention when to strike ;-) (If you're on a budget.) Ekoplaza may sell very healthy food, but the prizes can give you a heart attack.

[@NecramoniumVideo]

Albert Heijn cheaper than Dirk? Maybe in your region, but here its the most expensive one. Hoogvliet so far has the most at the best price (in my region). Meat though, its too expensive in every store, i buy that at the local butcher.

[@picobello99]

Jumbo isn't new at all, they celebrated their 100th anniversary last year.

[@heartshinemusic]

@@picobello99 Well, not really. Facts: 1979 de eerste winkel met de naam Jumbo in Tilburg. 1998 - Willy de Maertelaere uit Terneuzen is de eerste zelfstandige (franchise) ondernemer die de overstap maakt naar de nieuwe Jumbo formule. 2002 - Vanaf 2002 ligt de focus volledig op de Jumbo winkels en verschuiven de kernactiviteiten van groothandel naar supermarktorganisatie. De bedrijfsnaam Van Eerd Food Groep verandert in Jumbo Supermarkten.

[@judithvanringen-nienhuis261]

La Place is a brand that Jumbo bought, Originally it was the brand that catered to the ‘eating corner’ in the V&D warehouse store. When that went bankrupt, Jumbo bought the brand. That’s why AH doesn’t sell it. Unfortunately.... you’re right, it’s fantastic fresh pasta 😊. Keep up your yummy posts! I’d love to see your reactions to place a bit further north than A’dam...like Groningen! Fabulous city, lots of wining and dining options, cafés, nightlife, stopping, architecture. Glad to show you ‘round if you ever choose to visit :-D Love, Judith

[@naanabsoj]

Lol, the correct term is department store.

[@user-ji2xy6sf8c]

We are great fans of both AH and Lidl. Lidl for bulk quality products and AH for more specialized, asian or mexican ingrediënts (turkish and chinese ingrediënts as well) I love your channel, keep the great videos coming please!

[@cyrielmartens3575]

That's an interesting video!! I usually go to Aldi, and for some special things to Albert Heijn. What I usually do is wait for prime groceries like meat or fish, to go on discount. And if the discount is good. Just stack on them and thrown them in the freezer. Then defrost them one by one so you can have cheap meat for a long time haha. Another way to save money is to go for dishes that have cheaper ingredients. Like when I was out of a job for a while, I just bought a big pack of rice, and some frozen veggies, and very cheap saté meat lol. All could go into the freezer, cheap meals for weeks! :D ✨💰

[@jeroswat]

Oh, that's our neighborhood Lidl. We usually buy our staples there and supplement with AH for the missing items

[@picobello99]

I go to both Albert Heijn and Jumbo. AH is closer to my house and often has better discounts. But Jumbo is twice the size and I work there, so I always get 10% off. So I go to AH when I quickly need something and for bonus items, everything else I buy after work.

[@zyoninkiro]

Expat American here. I live in Italy. Here we have Aldi (as in the same Aldi you find in the US), Lidl (pronounce the German way, "LEE-Dul") and Spar (known here as DeSpar). In addition the German discounter, Penny, and the French giant, Carrefour are present along with a bunch of Italian ones such as Coop, Pam, Crai and CONAD. I tend to alternate between Lidl, Penny and the local Carrefour Express of which you can find all over many Italian cities Like in the Netherlands, most larger stores have self check-outs however small supermarkets don't. You weigh your produce before you get the to checkout and many stores you have to put a euro in the shopping cart. Many medium and larger stores have an in-store bakery and most have a great wine selection. All supermarkets take both credit and Bancomat (debit) cards.

[@marijkie9205]

I always go to Boni which is located in the north east of the Netherlanda😊 I once did go to a Albert heijn XL in Venlo, that was enormous😱

[@renevaanhold]

The nice pasta comes from La Plaza bought by Jumbo and they also bought HEMA. So you will find some of their products too. Thanks for the nice video. Do you edit them in the attic of your new home?

[@buncharted]

i sure do 😄

[@user-wp7zn8ii5u]

I enjoyed your video. Please do a video about pet food (and litter) and any vet experience you have had. Thank you for the great content.

[@JaneFokster]

I usually do my grocery shopping online these days - Jumbo or Albert Heijn, I use both - and then either pick them up or have them delivered. However, I do find myself having to visit my local Plus supermarket more and more often, to buy the products that AH and Jumbo have taken out of selection these past few years. I can't be the only person who noticed or ever bought these products. Things like Calve slasaus (salad dressing) or Milk & Fruit drink are quite well known, but no longer available. AH used to be known as the supermarket that had 'everything', but sadly that's no longer the case. I just found out that they don't even sell Suzi Wan satésaus anymore. Ridiculous!

[@littlewiseowl9858]

Aldi & Plus are closest to me so naturally I go there a lot. Sometimes Jumbo, Lidl or AH if they have good/better offers on things 😅🛒

[@MIGHTYcbu]

There are two Aldi chains in Germany (because of a falling out between two brothers or something), Aldi Markt in the Northern half and Aldi Süd in the Southern half, which is allegedly a bit higher quality. They both have stores throughout Europe. In the Netherlands we have Aldi Markt. In the North of the Netherlands we also have a local chain called Poiesz, comparable to Jumbo. I do my groceries at Jumbo, because it's very close, and at Lidl, because it's cheap.

[@buncharted]

interestingly, in the US, trader joe’s is owned by aldi nord and the aldi chain in the US is aldi sud

[@lillekenatnek195]

Jumbo 💛🖤

[@KajiRider1997]

lol Dordrecht. Have you tried the fish like right behind you. Always love getting fish there.

[@charlescorbee9498]

Mostly every supermarket has his own App, where you can find special offers and action with nice prices

[@atropatene3596]

Appie for me. But when I used to live in Noord-Holland, Deka!

[@d.deugniet2384]

At Sterrenburg in Dordrecht you have the Jumbo Food Market, which has more different products. ;)

[@vijftweenulzevenviereenacht]

I always go to 'Gimsel' to buy bread. Pricey, but delicious!

[@stokbrood]

One thing to mention is; Albert Heijn and Jumbo also delivery services, sadly are their websites not in English yet. There's also Picnic, which is online only.

[@JustinPittman]

The family and I moved here to NL from Canada ~1.5 years, and we tend to gravitate to Albert Heijn for the glutenvrij selection (wife is celiac). Their breads, cereal, pasta, and snacks selection is pretty consistent. We have definitely noticed that our weekly grocery budget has creeped up about 20% in the short time we've been here though, and I'm starting to debate trying Lidl/Dirk more regularly but wonder if it's worth the hassle of multiple stores. Side note: I feel weird leaving purchases with my bike while shopping in other stores. haha. Just me? Not a problem I had (or could DREAM of having) in Canada, and I'm still very happy about it.

[@QuartzNL]

Lidl is great, believe me. I had to get used to Lidl, because: no A-brands, no known brands, no 'stuff you always grab'. So I decided to just walk in there one day, and just simply pick what they had for bread, lunch meats, chocolate, hagelslag, peanut butter, jam, coffee, tea, margarine, ice cream, etc. etc. I was amazed by the quality of everything (esp. in the Lidl stores that have a fresh bread section) and really never went back to A-brands. But don't walk in there going "Where is the Coca-Cola?".

[@JustinPittman]

@@QuartzNL That's good to know! Now that I also know a bit more Dutch, it would probably be good to give it another go and try some of their brands. Thanks!

[@urbandiscount]

In Dordt you're very lucky with the Odin shop (organic only from smaller producers) and it's a store you can become a member of, because it's a proper cooperative

[@buncharted]

oh cool! we'll have to check it out. we had no idea 😅

[@EmOrganizer]

And a lot of Odin's products are priced similarly to AH's organic products and of better quality.

[@neuron82]

I shop at Albert Heijn. i like Jumbo a bit more, but its less common here in Belgium

[@annedenhaag3511]

Overall credit cards are not as widely used as in the US. I think it is safe to say that Dutch people use their debet card as Americans use their credit card. Only for large purchases (online or at a brick-and-mortar store) and to make reservations for hotels and such the average Dutch person will use a CC.

[@urbandiscount]

You can use mastercard and often even Amex in Jumbo. Why AH doesn't do credit cards (not even in the big Markthal AH where lots of cruise passengers come in to buy snacks) is a mystery

[@Mesmancer]

Where I live in Zwijndrecht. On the Kort Ambachtlaan, there is a Dirk and a brand new Jumbo. Also Lidl and Albert Heijn are basically within walking distance and should I go to Dordrecht with busline 2 I will be in the inner city in no time at all. No car needed.

[@lmr4403]

Small addition about our grocery shopping habbit: We do a big weekly shopping, and almost daily just buy some extra small/fresh stuff to complete the dinner and meals of the next day.

[@buncharted]

this helps so much with reducing food waste

[@chantaldutchgirl8216]

Most of my big grocery shopping I do it Picnic. The online app service. You need to buy at least for €40,00 but they will bring it to your door for free so... Small things I will buy at Jubo or Aldi(the shops close by for me).

[@CasGroenigen]

As a Dutch person I have never heard of Marqt and Ekoplaza. We mostly do our larger shopping at Hoogvliet nowadays but used to do it at Aldi but their store near us closed. For small things I useually just go to whatever store is closest wherever I are or walk a little bit further if there is a discount store like Aldi or Lidl

[@KajiRider1997]

Ekoplaza is een bio winkel. Alles is duurder omdat het bio is. Odin is vrijwel dezelfde winkel maar minder bekent.

[@cornelbruggemann1203]

Born and raised in the Netherlands but in Canada last 47 years I find your videos quite good and shows me how much has changed. Aaa kid my mom mostly shopped at a store called the Ruiter. Albert heyn opened their first big store in my hometown in 1971. I got a part time job there when it opened. Memories

[@Theseus1989]

Albert Hein used to be more expensive but jumbo has upped its prices quite a bit. I find myself usually being cheaper at Albert Hein nowadays.

[@VulcanLogic]

I have an Aldi's near me here in California. Love it. Cut my grocery bill by a third compared with Albertsons.

[@buncharted]

they have the carts that require a coin to unlock here too 😂

[@VulcanLogic]

@@buncharted Yeah first time my wife didn't know how that worked so she jacked a cart! Taught her how it works the next time.

[@cecilecorpuz5735]

PLUS in Best is my choice! Quality! Quality! Quality! It's not cheap but if you want Quality then this is the place to go, fresh fish on Fridays and Saturdays, not the pre packaged stuff, freshly cut meats and the veggies are pretty good as well. I live above a JUMBO so I'll just do most of my shopping there, mostly out of convenience. On the other hand I really miss Trader Joes and whole foods from the States along with the ,99 cents stores where you can get screaming deals on name brand products.

[@liavanson8687]

🥦 😂😂😂 thx for the chuckle

[@Blank_the_Bard]

i got really lucky we got almost all store brands where i live so i can save way more by going to each and selecting things and products on sale

[@baskkev7459]

Lidl is best for BBQ meat and vegetables Albert hijen for sale things and ready to eat meals and bread stuff Jumbo for brands Recently it has shown that Aldi is more expensive. But most likely if you live in a big city you have several options and you mix and match during the months. Depenig on the things that are cheaper or you need at that specific moment

[@kimspirit6510]

I go to dirk because of the prices and sometimes order picnic if im ill or something

[@tarquinmidwinter2056]

Coolest thing about Albert Heijn is the cup holder in the shopping trolley where you can put your (free!) cup of coffee so you can sip as you shop. For obvious reasons this was scrapped during the covid era, but I've noticed that it's back now.

[@buncharted]

we recorded it in the video but took it out since our albert heijn doesn't have the free coffee 😢

[@lillekenatnek195]

isent that a holder for the hand scanners?

[@itsalwayshalloweenexceptwh5118]

I go the the Albert Heijn most of the time because it's across the street,

[@ariekiewiet7214]

My buncharted hoodie arrived today 🥳

[@buncharted]

yayyyy hope you love it ❤️

[@itsalwayshalloweenexceptwh5118]

Make sure to put empty drink cans into the machine for your deposit back as well. This is a fairly recent development.

[@jeffafa3096]

Personally, I usually shop at the nearest supermarket, Dirk, and occasionally go to a supermarket a bit farther away. But that's usually towards Albert Heijn, because their shopping experience is still the most pleasant to me.

[@BrazenNL]

Closest one in my area is Plus. Not sure if you found one yet (and Googling one is annoying), but if you want something nice, there's something that we call "trattoria" (which means some sort of restaurant in Italian, hence the problem with Google). It has all sorts of delicious Italian treats. I tried to search for one in your area but unfortunately couldn't find one. Sorry.

[@CamiloSperberg]

Our Saturday morning does look like the following: first the markt: we buy our vegetables and fruit there not because they're the cheapest but simply the best. Lidl fruit won't last for nearly as long and many fruit sold in Lidl doesn't taste as good. AH or Jumbo do have the same quality but will be a bit more expensive. After the markt we go to Lidl to buy the bulk quantity of stuff, but if we need detergent we usually stop by Action as well. Lastly we go to either an AH or Jumbo to buy the A-merk stuff (A-merk: not the Vitad'or pindakaas but the Calvé one for example, a bad example btw since Lidl now also sells Calvé Pindakaas haha but you get the idea). Lastly we pass by the fish market which also has the bakery where we buy our weekly fish and bread respectively. This whole trip takes about an hour and a half but the travel times are quite long since I live in a very small town and we have to go to two other different towns which are a few kms apart. When in a rush we just go to the city and buy everything in an AH XL.

[@buncharted]

what do you typically buy at action? we get random stuff there like a laundry basket but your comment about detergent makes me wonder if there are staple items we should be getting there regularly...

[@CamiloSperberg]

@@buncharted mostly cleaning products, toilet paper, kitchen paper, that kind of stuff. Can be cheaper than at AH or alike, but always double check during hamsteren since they'll sell a lot of 2x1 stuff.

[@nicoanker1343]

Of course you can visit PLUS supeermarket. 9 supermarkets in Rotterdam and 4 supermarkets in Dordrecht.

[@nout1972]

Albert Heijn is my go to supermarket, closely followed by the Jumbo which is very close to my home, a 5 minute walk. That said, if the Lidl was closer to my home I would go there frequently. In my experience their produce is the best of all the supermarkets I tried and their freshly baked stuff is very nice as well. We are lucky in the Netherlands that the selection and quality of bread in supermarkets is great, but there is still a big gap in quality between supermarket bread and the bread you can get at the "echte bakker", the real bakery.

[@misscityhopper]

I mix them up. Because some of these shops are next to each other, at least in my area. You can have AH and Vomar plus a Turkish supermarket. I just shop at those stores because I already know which store sells the cheapest for the product that I want.

[@Perriax]

2:23 I dunno if Apple pay or the Android equivalent count as debit or credit, but you can use that most places too.

[@mver191]

My fav is Lidl. Lidl has won the "best vegetables" award from quite some years in a row now and their bakery and meat (which imo are much tastier than AH) are also very good according to tests. It's just their copies of big brands that are not quite as good most of the time (but on the other hand also 50% cheaper). My second fav is Aldi, it is also cheap and the quality is ok. It has more big brands than the Lidl but their own stuff (meat, bread, vegetables etc) is not quite as good imo. My 3rd would be Plusmarkt, not the cheapest but I like the more cozy "village" vibe these supermarkets have. Dirk van de Broek has that old 90s vibe that you would find in C1000s back in the day. Very focused on the middle segment. Good price/quality. AH is pretty good but I feel like severely overpaying for everything. It is generally for people with more money and also has that vibe and it has the highest quality of luxury product selection. However I think its "home" brand is generally much worse than what you get at Lidl for a lower price. Also the bread is better than the Lidl but the meat and vegetables aren't. The AH to Go prices in train stations are a complete ripoff and should be avoided as much as possible. Jumbo claims to be cheap and has a cheaper vibe, but I feel like it is just as expensive as AH. However I feel like there are more "exotic" brands in the Jumbo you don't really find in other supermarkets. I even think they have some space reserved for American brands/products. Vegetable quality is a little below AH. Most have a small restaurant area where they sell roasted chicken which is pretty good. COOP is usually found in more rural villages. Not cheap but a lot of local high quality produce. Spar is a tourist supermarket usually found next to campings, pleasure harbors and in tourist areas and very focused on tourist needs. Not really a store to do your daily groceries. I don't know about Ecoplaza, never been there I think.

[@sp1noo]

I also prefer Lidl! has the best quality of fruits and vegetables. they won a lot of awards indeedn.. Aldi is not so cheap anymore. they have an Episode of Kassa and aldi came out as the most expensive one. obviously it depends on what you shop ^^

[@NakedPigeon]

My favorite supermarket is Jan Linders, based in Brabant and south of Gelderland

[@markruitenbeek]

Beautiful and informatiive as ever before. Kind’a Dutch question though: how is your lovely lifestyle economicly fundamented?

[@buncharted]

we're freelancers :)

[@ivo215]

My go to is AH, because it's close and easy. And the quality and selection is usually good. Except for the onions, there's frequently rotten ones in the net. Get your onions somewhere else. Lidl has much better onions, better garlic too. I prefer to get fish from the fishmonger, it's fresher than the supermarket, not cheaper though. Hoogvliet is a nice store, which rivals/equals AH in most ways, and is a bit cheaper. I wish it was a bit closer. They have by far the very best saucijzenbroodje at the fresh bread section, which makes the detour worth it. Do not discount your local independant supermarket. There's a "Happy" in my town, which specializes in "foreign" items. The Turkish bread is very good. Things like rice, vegetables, spices, tea are much cheaper. There's fresh Baklava. You can find delicious things like Japanese Gyoza, or Punjabi Samosas, and much more. Last week they had a batch of massive watermelons, and an employee was carving them on the spot for customers.

[@SvenMolhuijsen1]

Spar is a Dutch supermarkt and quite small in the Netherlands but located in 48 other countries in the world with 13.600 stores. :)

[@marceljanssens5935]

Wasn't the number one in Austria? And does yhat have anything to do with that 'spar' in german means to save money

[@SvenMolhuijsen1]

@@marceljanssens5935 yeah, spar is the biggest in Austria (or Billa?) But spar in Dutch is the name of the tree it depicts in the logo. And DE SPAR is a Dutch abbreviation. But you're right, never stood still at the meaning of spar in german.

[@vanderquast]

There are not in your list mentioned supermarket chains in the north of The Netherlands you don't find in the rest of the country, like Poiez.

[@bertoverweel6588]

There is an AH and Atos shop in the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam.

[@bertoverweel6588]

Why not.

[@rudyloedeman5730]

Jumbo because it's the only grocery in my village😊 and my 15yo daughter does work there on saturdays

[@whatElse88]

90% van de tijd ga ik naar de Appie, fruit(soms groenten maar gelukkig heb je ook biologische groenten bij de Appie)en kaas bij Ekoplaza en heel soms Lidl of Jumbo.

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

Favorite one Nettorama. But I don't think it has a country wide coverage.

[@Zooz.]

Poiesz has great grocery stores, unfortunately they are only in the north of the country. They are quite common there though.

[@albertlay8927]

Jumbo and Albert Heijn are watching each other closely and copying what's working, so they look very much alike. But still there are some items that make a (little) difference. AH is my favorite, but Jumbo is fine too. I also go to Asian toko's and Turkish stores. The Asian shops for Asian stuff, obviously. In the Turkish shops you often find veggies much cheaper, and Mediterranean stuff.

[@perpetual4958]

I found that the rice at the local asian store is quietely still from the huge Dutch rice and colonial wares trader Sillevoldt (Silvo brand) even when carying asian brands.

[@KESipples]

Regarding the Albert Heijn To Go’s in train stations - is it acceptable to eat and drink on train journeys?

[@buncharted]

yep! you don’t see people eating meals on trains too often but you definitely see people drinking (even beer) and snacks

[@dobberdop]

For the asian food, i will go to Amazing Oriental. You definitely need to visit that. Really, if you like Asian, (Indonesian, Chinese etc, but Surninamese food...) Go there.. you wont be disappointed

[@patje89]

I actually miss 1 specific store in your line up and that is PLUS, 3rd largest brand (they recently fused with the Coop brand and they will all become PLUS). They focus a lot on Fairtrade (they pay the highest Fairtrade tax to 3rd world countries while they are only 1/9th the size of and Albert Heijn) and biological products without bumping the prices as an Ekoplaza does while still trying to lower their CO2 footprint as well. Their price range is in-between the Albert Heijn and Jumbo and you should try it. Also, their "koopzegels"-system has a whopping 50% return on investment.

[@buncharted]

we feel bad for not including plus/coop - we've never lived near one (and with the exception of a couple of "coop vandaag" stores, we've never even seen one!)

[@levisiem4145]

When are you guys visiting some nature places, like the Veluwe?

[@buncharted]

we've got some stuff coming up (we hope!)

[@Lee-mz5ps]

Jumbo has been my go-to store for 10+ years, mainly because i've always lived closest to one. But now that i'm slowly transistioning into an animal-based diet (raw dairy, grass-fed organic meat, raw honey etc) i'm sort of ''forced'' upon Ekoplaza because the other stores do not have the stuff I need unfortunately.

[@Dutchbelg3]

I usually shop at Delhaize which is owned by the Albert Heijn corporation. It is close to home and has a decent selection of products. Now because the mother company has decided to make the shops all go to franchisers a lot goes wrong in logistics of products that result in empty shelf which is REALLY annoying! There are Albert Heijn and Jumbo stores further away and when Delhaize went on strike (Strikes are pretty normal in Belgium) I went to the Jumbo. BTW Alex and Michelle: Did you already discovered the VLA repertoire in the Netherlands? They are really delicious as a dairy dessert!

[@buncharted]

michelle has apparently had it but i haven't - sounds like something i'd really like though! thanks for the recommendation :)

[@dutchgamer842]

Delhaize is not owned by Albert Heijn. Albert Heijn and Delhaize are part of Ahold-Delhaize. Ahold used to mean, Albert Heijn Holding, they however changed a long time ago, that the company became Ahold and AH(Albert Heijn) became part of Ahold, Ahold also owned Etos, Gal&Gal and sever other stores in Europe and North America. It merged with Delhaize into Ahold-Delhaize.

[@Dutchbelg3]

@@dutchgamer842 Potaato Poteeto ;-)

[@Rimpelmans]

If Lidl had a selfscan service and a bigger choice of sugar free sodas I would probably always go to Lidl since they are cheap and their fresh products are really good. But as it is I find myself often going to more expensive supermarkets like AH because I don't want to stand in line for just a few items. Also AH is the only supermarket, as far as I know, that carries Orangina which I LOVE, so much better than Fanta!

[@buncharted]

orangina is so good 🤤

[@ronaldderooij1774]

Most people don't seem to know that SPAR is a Dutch brand. It used to be DE SPAR which is an acronym standing for "Door Eendrachtig Samewerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig" (By United Cooperation, All Profit Regularly"). Fun fact, as it became international, it was handy that the word "SPAR" means "Save (money)" in German. The Dutch is a bit old fashioned as it was pre war. Speaking about Cooperation, you forgot Coop supermarkets. A very old chain also.

[@buncharted]

we show the coop logo at the beginning - didn't have time for them all, unfortunately

[@fvt1979]

sorry, in dutch my comment: kijk uit bij de zelfscanner dat je alles goed scant. Anders kan je beschuldigd worden van diefstal als ze je checken en kan je zelfs een winkelverbod krijgen!

[@dasja9966]

I googled dwergmuismaki because i was curious if they are real or if it was a made up animal. Found out they do exist, and that they are extremely cute. Thanks for introducing me to a species i never knew existed.

[@frankgeurts3912]

Albert Heijn,and Jumbo ❤❤❤❤period

[@gerardkluver8617]

Stop & Shop, Giant, Food Lion en Hannaford in the U.S. are all Ahold (Albert Heijn) companies.......

[@miatx6818]

Kinda funny about grocery stores in Dordrecht In my area in like a 500 meter radius there are over 5 grocery stores 4 if you talk about big chains stores We have 3 stores in one shopping center Albert Heijn and Plus Aldi has recently came too but almost no one goes there. Albert Heijn is really busy all the time but the sad thing is that AH or locally known as Appie or Appie Heijn has kinda expensive products compared with other big chains but thats because its good quality food in my opinion

[@Mdgd63]

How is your new apartment? I see that it is under the roof because it has not a vertical wall (on the right side) 🤗😆

[@buncharted]

it’s so much nicer - we love it!

[@robvansteijn9324]

Aldidas slippers, oh my, so wrong, so kemp... I want them!

[@edgy9yearold595]

a tip for cheap groceries is to shop at turkish supermarkets the quality can vary a lot bit they are very cheap also if you can find a netorama go there