Reaction To Dutch Supermarket Albert Heijn

[@remc0s]

I live in the Netherlands and had this American coworker, whose mom would send him a box of Coca-Cola, chocolate, potato chips and other foods every month, because she thought the Netherlands was a communists country with bread and soup lines. He never told her, until his parents came over to visit him 😂

[@2_wicked]

I met an American with Irish roots once, he was convinced that Ireland was the only European country that had electricity.

[@exie17]

@@2_wicked noo please say your joking :D:D

[@randar1969]

Here in the Netherlands we think people in the USA need to drive 30 miles to the supermarked over congested 6 lane roads. Buying large quantities because they hate the traffic. And then poison themselves on preservatives because bread and milk needs to last 2 weeks outside the refrigiator making them all horrible obese. We also think whoever made zoning laws that require food stores to setup store far away from people's home is a crime vs humanity.

[@dewis1387]

There is something very wrong with the education system in the US.

[@JM-fg3et]

😂😂

[@Z3ROR]

Tip from someone who worked in a Dutch supermarket for years: A vegetable department with fresh vegetables seems very fresh, but the freshest vegetables are from the frozen department. Those vegetables are packed and frozen shortly after harvest and are therefore often not even a day old, while the vegetables in the fresh vegetable department are often already about 2-3 days old. This is for almost every supermarket in any country by the way.

[@Barthijzz]

True, but fresh is not necessarily most tasty. Look at tomatoes for instance

[@MrRepsie]

@@Z3ROR oranges are over 6 months old and sold as fresh. 🤣🤣

[@Corax_Dawai]

That's common sense imho

[@trojanpussy]

If you dont eat the watermelon the same day, you find it exploded on your sink.

[@nickvanachthoven7252]

@@MrRepsie apples and pears are a year old. they get picked and into the fridge in september, then get sold all year round.

[@UnicornNoize]

Inflation is quite big here in the Netherlands. I think for most people Albert Heijn is the more expensive supermarket, but the 'bonus-aanbiedingen' are always nice (don't forget your bonus-card) 😋 Also in Dutch slang AH is known as Appie. Always love your video's!

[@hisgen01]

If you don't have a bonus card, you can find a bonus card barcode by searching on Google Images 😅

[@UnicornNoize]

True! Most products here are more expensive then in Germany I believe, a lot of people that live close to the border do their groceries over there

[@Sanquinity]

Yup Albert Heijn is considered the more expensive option, unless you go for the "bonus" items. Jumbo would be a bit cheaper, but still a bit on the expensive side as well. And the cheapest I've gone to was Lidl. Problem is that Lidl also has a far smaller selection. So I tend to shop at Jumbo, or the middle ground you could say.

[@roy_hks]

@@UnicornNoize That has nothing to do with inflation tho. Real wages have grown more in the Netherlands than in Germany in the past decade. German supermarkets are cheaper because the German market has more competition ánd because it’s larger allowing for benefits of scale.

[@lexburen5932]

er heeft een test plaats gevonden. Jumbo en albert heijn verschillen maar 2 euro gemiddeld. Zeg maar lang genoeg dat een bepaalde winkel duurder is en het blijft in je hoofd steken 😉

[@TheViper079]

just a small note she does not touch on, the stickers you see with the 25% off on some products are there for product close to their best before date to reduce wasted food

[@DavesDeepDives]

* 35% ;)

[@TheViper079]

@@DavesDeepDives oh its 35 these days never go to the AH anymore

[@KKRkahbe.s]

It can go up to 70%

[@IkkeInc]

i dont know if there still a rule for it but when i was a student (15 years ago) if you found a product that was passed its sell date it was free.

[@ericvangent1302]

​@@IkkeIncno, that's forbidden nowadays!

[@arendafranken1426]

In the netherlands we mostly have special fish shops for the fresh fish products, so that`s in a different store.

[@Rein_]

same with butcher or bakery.

[@sese8976]

credit cards in the netherlands are rare and rarely used, people like to pay with actual money and not borrowed money

[@shoelacedonkey]

Not really. We (people in the Netherlands) may not use credit cards much but debit cards are the overwhelming standard these days. Either an actual physical card or pay by phone or smart watch. Cash is still used, but in most cases it's used as a backup.

[@sese8976]

@@shoelacedonkey maar dat is geen credit card een debit card is iets heel anders dat is het hele punt

[@sese8976]

@@shoelacedonkey en met actual money bedoel ik geld dat je echt hebt en geen krediet/lening zoals een credit card werkt

[@adkelders1636]

@@sese8976 Je hebt helemaal gelijk; voor DNB is een cash betaling of een betaling met een debet kaart hetzelfde, een contante betaling, maar dan giraal.

[@Quark0611]

Sinds 2024 is Maestro aflopende zaak, en worden alle bankpassen (langzaamaan) vervangen door een VISA kaart. En je kunt gewoon betalen met een buitenlandse (VISA-)debetcard. Ik heb een Belgische rekening, en ik kan daar gewoon bij elke AH betalen. Maestro is a finishing thing, and will slowly be replaced by VISA. And you can pay with any foreign (VISA) debit card. I have a Belgian VISA debit card, and I can easilly pay at any AH in the Netherlands!

[@JaapNL-55]

Lots of people are saying Albert Heijn and Jumbo are the most expensive supermarkets in The Netherlands. Partialy that is true, but when you shop a lot of the BONUS produsct (and by an app you can have personal BONUS products, eg a discount on product you buy often) than the discount can be a high. My wife is good on looking at all the discounts in the AH app. The cheaper supermarkets are Dirk and Lidl and Aldi. But for those is a sidenote: they do not sell everything. The vegatables from Lidl are very good, mostly local, so Dutch. The prices are a lot higher nowadays, but also at the cheaper supermarkets.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Bonus discount price at AH is usually still more expensive than other stores lol. If your wife wants discounts, go to the market on the town square or go to a couple cheaper stores. And buy your herbs, fish, and meat at a wholesaler like sligro or makro.

[@YouHaventSeenMeRight]

Dirk doesn't have a national presence though. It seems to be contained to North and South Holland and Utrecht.

[@MrSuperMichel1997]

Don't forget that the food from the Dirk is bad, similar to the Nettorama. Aldi and Lidl are decent. For fruit and vegetables are indeed good at Lidl.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@MrSuperMichel1997 the quality at Dirk is no worse than at AH or Jumbo, some things may be out of stock at the end of the day, the discounts start on Wednesday and theyre usually gone by the weekend. That's how they save money. They don't save on quality.

[@sandravermeulen9729]

I combine 4 supermarkets and except for some basics only stick to sales. It works out really well. Also Jumbo has a cooler with products that are on sale if today is the expiration date. If it's your birthday always check there first. It has cakes in it very often. Is often cheaper than the birthday discount.

[@Melchiar81]

There are supermarkets that have their own butcher, bakery and things like that. This is a relatively small store, likely due to it being in the city center where space is limited. There's usually bigger ones more outside the city centers.

[@hisgen01]

You can buy fish in most supermarkts, but the best way to buy fresh fish is to go to a local fish retailer (visboer). I would never buy a prepacked raw herring in the supermarket, only fresh at a local fishmonger. But a piece of salmonfillet from the supermarket is also very delicious (and expensive 😅)

[@dutchman7623]

Herring is caught for only three months a year. Salted and contained for controlled fermentation. So even the fresh fish monger sells you fish that's stored for many months. Raw herring is hardly available anywhere, it has to be processed immediately after being caught. 'Ruwe haring', same as 'ruwe ham' doesn't mean it's raw (rauw), but it has been conservated only slightly and simply. 'Ruw' means 'not sophisticated'.

[@aukebij3193]

ik woon vlak bij lauwers oog visers haven dus ik haal m,n visies daar😋😋😋twee vijfentwintig voor een kilo tong

[@dutchman7623]

@@aukebij3193 Buiten het quotum... 😄

[@aukebij3193]

@@dutchman7623 ja zo uit de kist voor het naar de vis afslag gaat 😇😇

[@mattstroker]

Most fish is simply frozen. Immediately.

[@EstherVanBuuren-t4h]

Thank you for your video. I was born in the Netherlands and I live in the Netherlands, personally I notice that the groceries do not outweigh our rent prices, I do not have such a big apartment, I pay more than €600 per month. We are obliged to have health insurance and that also costs €180 per month, plus the deductible of €180 per year. We are not allowed to have wood stoves or coal stoves so he has to heat with energy from the socket or the boiler and that costs on average in my apartment, €160 per month. because I have a low income l I receive subsidies, A complicated story to show you how expensive my life is, many people need guidance in arranging their money because it is simply too complicated. These costs are what make life expensive and not food prices, even though I have to say that 3 years ago it was really a lot cheaper.

[@noaveeger]

Thanks for the more elaborate answer… for many immigrants and even for plenty of Dutch people the ‘system’ of living is quite complicated. All the administrative chores and all of the rules and regulations will help you never get bored

[@RevengeoftheNerdsRN]

In the Netherlands, a lot of shops and companies don't accept Visa or Mastercard because of the higher fees associated with them. Dutch cards mainly use 'Maestro' and 'V-Pay,' which don’t charge any fees to the customer during payment. Instead, the shop pays a small, fixed fee (around 2-30 cents per transaction). On the other hand, Visa and Mastercard charge a starting fee plus a percentage (1-3%) of the transaction amount. Since most Dutch people don’t use credit cards, it’s not cost-effective for Dutch shops to accept them. There are some changes coming though, as the EU is pushing the acceptance of Visa and Mastercard to banks.

[@caelorum]

Just a quick note that it is not the EU that is pushing here. Maestro and V-Pay are owned by MasterCard and Visa. There's a whole lot of history behind why there are separate systems, but the main reason they're now being phased out is that it is a costly system and definitely not as profitable for the banks but especially MasterCard and Visa. Maestro is also not just a European thing. It is used globally.

[@seineha2236]

Credit cards: We Dutch hate paying extra for no reason.

[@CheapBastard1988]

​@@caelorumMaestro is just not widely accepted globally. Unless you want to pay with cash everywhere. Because an ATM usually does accept them, but none of the stores will.

[@gizmo9290]

I don't know about Visa, but Mastercard is accepted all over the Netherlands right now. It was not, if it was not from a card a Dutch bank, but now you can pay with Mastercard in every supermarket you want.

[@Rein_]

Maestro gaat stoppen met het uitgeven van Maestro-betaalpassen. In Nederland hebben de meeste consumenten een Maestro-betaalpas van Mastercard. Een kleiner deel heeft een V PAY-betaalpas van Visa. Banken die zowel Maestro als V PAY-betaalpassen (ING, ASN Bank, RegioBank en SNS) uitgeven, zullen met beide stoppen. Iedereen krijg op termijn een nieuwe soort betaalpas: de Debit Mastercard of Visa Debit. they stop wit Maestro and everyone get mastercard or visa

[@coreC..]

The video in the supermarket was shot with an iPhone, i think: The red is super red, the green is mega green.. polarized. That makes the vegetables and fruits look even more fresh. But yeah, the shown supermarket looks almost exactly the same as any other supermarket. The concept is working, and the layout isdesigned. They use that same concept all over the country.

[@MartinWebNatures]

It can also be the light in the store!

[@NLJeffEU]

Jup 😂 but this is with all those video's in all countrys

[@marcelrenes2435]

I shop at Albert Heijn every day. It's at walking distance to my house. But it's one of the most expensive supermarkets. Sometimes I shop at JUMBO. Also one of the most expensive supermarkets. But in my village those are the only two we have... The AH cola is pretty good! And a lot cheaper.

[@YtUser-c1c]

I must be very lucky. Where I live, we have a Jumbo, Lidl, AH and a Dirk supermarket in the same shopping centre, less than 150 meters apart. In the other part of my 35.000 citizens town, we also have and Aldi and a Plus, and some randomly scattered specialist shops for fresh meat, fish and vegetables and exotic shops for spices.

[@kevartje1295]

4:37 the bags you see there are soup veggies. You can buy specific bags for specific dishes. Theres soup veggie bags but also Nasi or bami bags. If you want to make veggie soup all you have to do is put some boullion in a pan of water and throw one of those soup veggie bags in. Same for the Nasi; cook some rice and put in the cooked or raw veggies from that bag (you can choose to cook them first). We also like Stamppot, our national dish. Its most of the time veggies with mashed potatoes and little chunks of bacon all mashed together, but there are variations in kinds of veggies and for every kind you can find a bag in that section :)

[@gizmo9290]

Veggies for soups, veggies for pastas, veggies for clams (mosselen), veggies for oven, veggies for cooking, veggies for stamppot - all washed and cut, prepared for use. Much more expensive that unprocessed ones, but quite useful.

[@mrmarcellos]

Framboos = raspberry. Aardbei = strawberry. The plastic at the vegatables is changing so it wil be less and less.

[@KeesBoons]

When I was young there was (almost) no plastic in the vegetable islands. Usually there were paper bags. I think in the '80s it all changed to plastic, and that's still the case. I don't understand why the removal/reduction of plastics in the vegetable islands is taking that long, but people will probably come up with some reasoning. The touching of customers of the fruits and vegetables could be one of the reasons.

[@KarinKuiper]

Vegetables in plastic shrink wrap are mostly organic. This way organic doens't get contaminated with non-organic during transport and it's clearly distinguishable for customers. Of course those buying organic prefer veggies that are not wrapped in plastic so this is slowly changing. I.e. a bunch of organic bananas may only have small sticker on every seperate banana or one ribbon around the bunch.

[@KeesBoons]

@@jbird4478 OK. Thank you!

[@OP-1000]

I can’t taste the difference between different brands of cola.

[@dutchgamer842]

​@@OP-1000That's weird

[@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas]

Trust me they are not cheap .I love in the Netherlands. But they are fresh yeah .

[@irenehabes-quene2839]

Go to the USA for a holiday and you will realise just how cheap The Netherlands really is. I was in California last year and for comparison a bag of Lays potato crisps cost about $4 compared to €2 in Holland, and I am talking about the same size. Wine at $6 is impossible to find whilst in Holland lots of fairly good wine is available under €5. per bottle. ( I’m not talking about top quality wines, but wines that are quite acceptable) Fresh fruit was exorbitant in price in California especially things like strawberries whilst I thought California is the place to be for fresh fruit and veggies. I visited a fresh outdoor market and was shocked at the prices, in the Netherlands market groceries are mostly cheaper and fresher than supermarkets.

[@swooshdutch4335]

@@irenehabes-quene2839 netherlands has MUCH higher income taxes, so in the US a bag of crisps may be 4 bucks but the income tax doesnt start at 38% and go up to almost 50% of income lol...its all relative...

[@YuriTina-z9b]

holland is the best...maybe norway...but not cheap... usa, if you start a new country. why so shityyyyyy

[@MrRepsie]

Get your bags for the vegetables from the bread section. There the bags are free 😂

[@hisgen01]

Dat ik daar nog niet aan gedacht heb 😂

[@MrRepsie]

@@hisgen01 You become smarter every day!

[@hisgen01]

@@MrRepsie hahaha. Yes indeed. Everyday I learn 10 new things (but I forget 12 other things🤣)

[@safsult]

why would you? There are bags at the vegs and fruits

[@MrRepsie]

@@safsult Not at my place. Both Appies ask 30 cents for vegetables and fruit bags.

[@jaccoremijnse5811]

I am from the Netherlands and framboos is like raspberries aardbeien are strawberries

[@TheGwydion777]

I remember a time when in Britain you could pay almost everywhere with a credit card, but debet cards only worked on cash machines. In the Netherlands it's quite the opposite.

[@jacquelinevanderkooij4301]

I haven't had a Cteditcard for 10 + years.

[@BasTrompper]

@@jacquelinevanderkooij4301 31 and counting, you dont need a Creditcard. why spent monnie you dont own. Debit FTW

[@CheapBastard1988]

​@BasTrompper You can put money on a credit card account before you spend it. You can even set the credit card lending limit to €0 and use it as a regular bank account but with the advantages of a credit card. You'll even receive interest on the money you've already spent in some cases, because it won't leave your account until the end of the month. I once bought a €1000 monitor online and received interest on it for the rest of the month! You'll really need a credit card if you want to rent a car in most countries. Even in the Netherlands, many car rental firms (not all but firms like Herz or Budget do) require you to use a credit card. Nearly everything you order online is automatically insured for a certain time (convenient when it's a smartphone). And if a sketchy seller never delivered, you can just reclaim your money back. When you pay with iDeal or bank transfer you'd be S.O.L.

[@miffebarbez]

@@BasTrompper I have a credit card for travel... Your debit card doesn't work everywhere....

[@BasTrompper]

@@miffebarbez sure does in the EU and with things in the far west atm I think ill be fine for a few years

[@Plectrudefy]

One very nice feature is that when items are close to their expiration date, they get discounted (usually 25 or 35%), to avoid waste.

[@JaapNL-55]

About the plastic: a lot has changed already, but some products need to be sold in plastic. But the 'plastic' is changing, it's sometimes a kind of paper. And fresh meat and fish: that is mostly only sold in a butcher shop and fish in a fish shop. Where I live, the Albert Heijn owner also runs a fish shop next to the supermarket.

[@TestTest-eb8jr]

Having worked at a Albert Heijn during my mid teen through my mid twenty years to (partly) pay for my education there will always be a soft spot for "Appie" but I do (nearly) all my shopping at Jumbo now....

[@BSZome]

Lol in my town there are like 3 Albert heijns and 2 jumbos 😂

[@dutchman7623]

But pay attention to the bonus aanbiedingen, this week a good whole wheat bread for only €0,99

[@DisclosureExtremist]

The Fruit and vegetables look so good because there is a whole science behind the lighting of the products. And there is even a "mist" coming out of top of the displays. To make everything look fresh and moist.

[@TheoMiltenburg]

It is actually to keep the products fresh by not drying out.

[@dirkdemeirleir264]

Maestro is a European debit card system, not a Dutch one. So with my Belgian bank card, which is a Maestro card I can pay and use ATM machines anywhere in Europe.

[@caelorum]

Maestro is global, not just European. It is also discontinued and stared being phased out as of july 2023 in Europe. So soon it will be a system that is used only outside of Europe (for instance by some banks in Argetina, Chile, etc)

[@dutchman7623]

Correct! Direct transfer of money from bank account to bank account, without any credit company between.

[@davidjulian]

I’m a co-worker at the Albert Heijn in my town. In my experience, there is a huge difference between dutch supermarkets in terms of pricing and quality. Among the Dutch people Albert Heijn is viewed an advanced supermarket with high quality and good service, but this comes with relatively higher prices. While supermarkets like Nettorama and Plus focus on low prices, consequently having a worse costumer service and lower quality. Furthermore, according to my own experience, in foreign countries there are often only one or two supermarket chains that dominate the market (for example Aldi and Lidl in Germany). In the Netherlands, from my own viewing point, there are, I suppose, five supermarket chains that try to dominate the market. This results in big competition between those chains, which leads to better service and higher quality compared to other countries.

[@NoseyRosie91]

I like nettorama. Their own brand is often not sooo good... But they have very good quality in veggies and meat. And it's less expensive. But than you have to wait in a long long line to pay for it 😅😂

[@YtUser-c1c]

I don’t particularly think AH is better quality than the other supermarkets. Their shops are nicer, but price wise,the shop experience is not worth the higher prices.

[@anitamatser-baring7999]

In the Netherlands we use your bank card. We have a very good banking system. You can use these passes all over the world, if you want this. So we don’t need a credit card.

[@berryvanhalderen7574]

Another note on the plastic. It is often used to protect the vegetable and by packing it, less needs to be thrown away because it has bruised too much. Which makes it actually better for the environment (provided it is disposed properly). You can see this on cucumber, the bio-version is actually packed in plastic, while the non-bio version often isn't.

[@I.Am.Nobody]

This is the socalled 5-Star Albert Heijn supermarket. Most are their 3-Star versions. The difference is quite large: 1. This one in Amsterdam is huge, the others are 1/5 to 1/3 the size of this one near the Museum Plein; 2. This one has a wider assortment of goods; 3. This one has a wide assortment of luxury produce; 4. This one is located in a high traffic tourist area of Amsterdam. They all do have a small bakery, usually. They don't have a butcher, none of them. Even though they received a reward for not using so much plastic compared to other supermarket chains, they still use a lot. Prices of meat, fish and fruits have grown more than of most vegetables.

[@pletter64]

The albert heijn cola is best described as the most generic cola you could expect. It is simply how you would expect a cola to taste when you imagine a generic cola. It is also not as sugary as a Pepsi. It does not have the coca cola aftertaste but if that is not what you are going for then it is a very solid option.

[@annemarel]

Albert Heijn is my favorite supermarket. In my opinion they are on another level when it comes to quality, customer service, systems, innovation, etc. In my province, Zeeland, we produce wine. It is also sold on all KLM flights

[@harrym740]

I get meat,fish and cheese at the butcher and the market. Its almost the same price as grocery stores now and those put water in the meat.

[@erwinj9697]

Store bought meat is garbage compared to the meat you get from farmers/markets. Same goes for cheese but cheese from a supermarket is actually alright. Once you tried it from the market/farm shop though you can't go back. Fish I don't usually eat but smoked eel, herring and even fried fish is best from markets/fish stands aswell for sure.

[@rientsdijkstra4266]

Albert Heijn is the largest brandname of the Dutch / Belgian chain Ahold / Delhaize with its Headquarters in Zaandam (a suburb of Amsterdam), which is one of the larger supermarket chains in the World and also have substantial presence in the USA and many other countries.

[@galliano100]

growing up we would never to AH because it was expensive. We would go to Aldi or to the turkish/arab supermarket because they were much cheaper. Going to AH was seen as a treat. Now in my 20’s I’m addicted to going to AH. I don’t care how much it is, I spend alot there weekly.

[@zenofmusic]

AH used to have a fresh meat and cheese counter, but that disappeared years ago. We are lucky that we have good butchers everywhere and that is where alot of people buy their meat, nothing is pre packed. Same with the fishmongers and the markets. AH does try to sell produce that has been grown in the Netherlands however. There are bargains every week at all the supermarkets, so it is just a question of studying the ad mags.

[@dutchgamer842]

No we don't have butchers everywhere, anymore

[@UnitedRobloxian]

@@dutchgamer842drenthe hier, basically elk dorp heeft wel een slager. Misschien its regionaals ofzo

[@dutchgamer842]

@@UnitedRobloxian Er zijn er landelijk gezien steeds minder, is zelfs ook in de media geweest, doordat ook weinig mensen dat beroep nog willen uitoefenen. Sommige Jumbo en Plus winkels hebben wel een slager ipv alleen verpakt vlees, vaak zijn dat franchisenemers geen filialen. Die hebben bijvoorbeeld ook verse maaltijden gemaakt in die winkels naast die uit de fabriek.

[@UnitedRobloxian]

@@dutchgamer842Ik zie het ook in mijn dorp gebeuren, een bakker is net gesloten. Ik denk omdat we een AH, Lidl, jumbo en aldi hebben en dat drijft de locale winkels weg

[@g.i.r.l.]

Vm zijn er nog steeds wel supermarkten met slagers erin. Maar misschien is dat alleen bij Jumbo's ofzo

[@framegote5152]

In rural areas the supermarkets are mostly smaller than in the cities. In villages there are more specialist shops, like a baker, butcher, grocer ... those are also in cities, but there are many (bigger) supermarkets. Albert Heijn is the biggest chain, but over all also the most expensive, but I like shopping there anyway. There are 5 supermarkets close to where I live: Jumbo, Lidl, Albert Heijn, Plus and Dirk. So choice enough.

[@inge6280]

Well, that video you’re looking at was from 2 years ago, we don’t get those prices anymore!

[@spinshade]

That's all I've been staring at the entire video.

[@kevartje1295]

Appel, peer, framboos is Apple, pear, raspberry. Strawberry is aardbei. The Pink dip you saw was cream cheese, beets and goat cheese. The only difference I see with supermarkets here in my small town is the iron carts behind the glass at 11:22. Ive never seen them here but I guess its because in a big city the milk runs out fast and thats an easy way to refill them. The rest is the same, maybe a few less options because our AH is smaller but over all its the same.

[@lauradeheij-joon1474]

We do have ah branches and other chains that have butchers, fishmongers, bakeries, etc in them, but I usually just go to a local butcher/fishmonger/bakery if I want something a bit more special than just my every day groceries, since they usually have the better quality products and to support local businesses

[@kkemp221]

In every AH you can pay with cash. You can find at least one 'old fashioned' cashier in each shop

[@erikvankempen6801]

At both my 2 AH stores it is card only (centrum amsterdam).

[@dark-shadow_]

Where i go you can pay with card, you can pay with cash or card yourself with the 2 upgraded machines that got installed a few months ago or we have 1 cashier. I wouldn't be surprised if the cashier wasn't needed anymore.

[@gizmo9290]

@@erikvankempen6801 I've never been to a shop in the Netherlands where I could not pay with cash (I don't, I use a bank card everywhere I can, but I can see other people paying), besides of Decathlon. Where in Amsterdam?

[@realpirate]

Prices have risen sharply here in NL , Albert Heijn, while great quality , is also the most expensive super market , people go for the Bonus offers and leave with a lot of stuff, they present everything so well . Other supermarkets followed suit, places like Jumbo are catching up and are aggressively marketing the price differences . The Netherlands is all about Aanbiedingen / special offers , so one often rushes to different stores to save a few bob , going for the infamous ' 3 halen, 2 betalen ' / get 3 pay for 2 offers and starts having a larder , squirrelling away stuff on offer . Saving money is a national pastime 🧡

[@lenieamels1270]

Jumbo and Aldi are not cheaper.

[@realpirate]

@@lenieamels1270 I disagree

[@opperbuil]

Albert Heijn is an A grade supermarket, so choice and quality tends to be high. This chain and their competitors have similarly clean stores, friendly employees and everything you see on screen is mostly a common thing there. B grade chains can be somewhat similar or close, like Aldi or Lidl. There you will see some products in still in colli boxes in the racks, rather than individual items. Choices in fruit and vegetables can be a bit less, especially on the prepared product side like the smoothies and juices. Those stores can and often will be less clean and for every 2 or 3 friendly employees, there's one who will give lower service standard. The worst thing in those supermarkets still tends to be the occasional antisocial customers. C grade chains don't tend to last very long here, either they upgrade to B or they disappear or get sold to bigger firms.

[@gullyhart2029]

Albert Heijn looked like a paradise to me.

[@jpht1964]

Go to Germany, you'll be in heaven...

[@VermeulenSaartje]

Here in Belgium, for fish and meat, we also have fresh counters. Where you choose your own item and they prepare it for you to take away. So no pre-packed fish or meat. But we also have that option on the refrigerated shelves.

[@estherkeizer6080]

Most things you see, are pretty common for Dutch supermarkets, but this seems to be a very large one. We import a lot of fruits and vegetables that don't grow in the Netherlands or are off season. Framboos is raspberry, strawberries are called aardbeien in Dutch.

[@dewis1387]

I was in California last month and was shocked about the prices there. Although AH tends to be the more expensive supermarket in the Netherlands, most prices in California are double, or sometimes even triple, those in the Netherlands. Especially fresh produce is ridiculously priced in the US. Vegetables, bread, meat, dairy products are amazingly expensive.

[@harm7602vicount-Visconti]

We carry our creditcard to be used in case of an emergency. We pay mostly with a debit card or cash. And lately with Apple Pay that is connected to our debt card. In the vegetable department (always the first department when entering the supermarket) the fruits and vegetables are labeled on the threshold keeping it from sliding. On that label it specifies the land of origin, the price a piece or per kilo and a barcode to scan when taking a certain amount. Most supermarkets look like this, unless confined to a smaller floor plan. Usually supermarkets reduce their non-food department when that is the case.

[@wilddoggie6640]

I'm in school and near my school there are 3 Albert Heijns within a kilometer and one of them has special baskets for students of my school because it gets to busy during breaks.

[@joebloggs2473]

The thing is with Appie in every store the layout is always the same. So most customers are used to them. Appie is not the cheapest but it is always fresh which for me personally is the most important thing. They always have a good selection of organic produce. Much of the plastic is bio-degradable. We have two Appie's in our shopping street with no Jumbo's, Aldi's or Lidl's. We also have two Marq's/Ekoplaza's (pure organic) as well. We always buy our meat from an organic butcher.

[@dewis1387]

I rarely buy fully priced products in the Netherlands. It pays off a lot to scan prices in other supermarkets by using apps with the latest weekly offers from each. Most products I can buy with 1+ 1 gratis (- free) offers, which means a 50% discount. Also, much of the meat and fish can be bought with 35% off with 1 or 2 days left to eat. Usually I put such offers in the freezer. Last week I went to the Dirk supermarket and bought a total of € 80 euros full price meat and fish with 50% off. Also yesterday's bread is often priced with 60-75% off early in the morning until 9:30 am or so. If you have a freezer this bread is still super good and you can eat the whole week very cheaply.

[@erikxtrema3845]

The prices of food in the Netherlands did get higher last year .

[@steffvalmont6828]

Higher ? approx 20%, let's say a huge raise over the past 2 years - but we are lucky in Belgium prices went up even higher

[@steffvalmont6828]

@@JeromeTheBome even more than I thought, but am not surprised

[@kirstene3539]

Prices have gone up a lot, before I could get through on about 200 euro a month, now I need at least 250.

[@dobronx8290]

Doe je goed, alleen boodschappen voor 250 ? Ik doe 500😅

[@kirstene3539]

@@dobronx8290 Er is gewoon niet meer om uit te geven.

[@UnitedRobloxian]

@@dobronx8290koop je elke maand een playstation 3 ofzo

[@gizmo9290]

@@dobronx8290 Well, it depends on what you buy and how much. I could live quite normally spending about 100 euro for food per month, if I wouldn't buy so much sweets...

[@sandravermeulen9729]

I used to think it was above my budget. But strictly sticking to bonus products only really works out well. In combination with sticking to only what's on sale or in the expiration date cooler at Jumbo except for the necessary basics is what works best. It even fits my long-term healthy habits. Dirk is always cheap but they don't have everything we use.

[@rianneunknown6833]

The pink dipp is Red beet with goat cheese dip they also have a version with black seeds on top making it little more hot :) And you can pay with many forgein cards like revolute and others, some stores do accept visa others do not it depends on the store.

[@richardaling5278]

About fish in the supermarket: It is better to buy the frozen fish. That is frozen right after catching on board of the ship while the "fresh" fish is unfrosted multiple times when packaging and in the supermarkwet's cooling. So it losses far more structure.

[@Mx-Alba]

Albert Heijn is relatively expensive compared to other super market chains, but I live literally on top of a shopping mall with an AH XL. However, the mall also has a greengrocer (selling only fruits and veggies) and an Amazing Oriental, a Chinese supermarket chain. When I do my weekly shopping, I usually first go to the greengrocer to get all of my fruits and veggies (no plastics - I have reusable cotton nets that I put the fruits and veggies into), then to the Amazing Oriental for tofu/tempeh (vegan oblige), spices, all of the good stuff you can get there... And then my last stop is the AH XL to get everything I didn't already get from my other stops. In an average week I spend around €15-€20 at the greengrocer's and the Chinese supermarket each, and around €40-€60 at Albert Heijn. So actually that entire fresh produce isle at Albert Heijn I don't really use at all, unless I'm feeling lazy and I want to get pre-cut ready to use veggies.

[@dutchgamer842]

Plus/Coop and Spar are more expensive than AH, Jumbo&AH are about the same price range, the others are just regional not national, Aldi&Lidl are food discounters not supermarkets, so AH isn't relatively expensive, it's midrange

[@MelissavanOosterhout]

​​@@dutchgamer842 true, but AH, Jumbo, Aldi, Lidl are on average most commonly used, also because there are much less branches of Coop, Plus and Spar.

[@dutchgamer842]

@@MelissavanOosterhout Plus and Coop Netherlands merged, Plus should be around 500 or so cause of it soon, spread accros the Netherlands

[@MelissavanOosterhout]

@@dutchgamer842 oohhh😲. Thanks for the info! I hadn't heared of this news yet. I'm curious if this will have an effect on prices.

[@moretoknowshow]

The Albert H/Jumbo are pretty modern, one thing I like about them is they have much better plant-based options than we do here in the states. Plus: Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice!

[@patrickboom4079]

Most supermarkts are similar. There are cheaper ones (Lidl, Aldi) which display their products in the boxes still and have less options, but in general most supermarkets look like this. Payments is mostly cashless by using Maestro cards, which is more a European thing. There are plans to replace that system with Mastercard as the transaction broker. The Maestro system is a debit system, directly connected to your bank account. Credit Cards are available in the Netherlands, but are not used much other than for large amounts. Usually Credit Card companies charge a fee, whereas debit cards do not. Finally, Dutch are kind of risk averse in terms of money and therefore do not use lone systems all that much (which a credit card essentially is).

[@gerbentvandeveen]

I live in Spakenburg The Netherlands. And from work to home I come by 2 AH's. On a 3.5 km bike ride. And 400 mtr from my house is a JUMBO supermarket. 1 AH has a lickerstore and then the second has a bakery and botcher. And then the JUMBO has olso a bakery and a botcher. No fresh fish. But in Spakenburg are 370 fish company's.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Lickerstore :D

[@jjbankert]

I hardly know 'er

[@Corax_Dawai]

Sure bruv, I olso always first go to the botcher and afterwards to the lickerstore

[@adpop750]

I'm Dutch, I love croissants and it still amazes me every-time: €1 for 4 croissants in the supermarket. And they are good quality, sure at a bakery the croissants are even better, but then you pay €2 for 1 croissant. Ps. you mention the whole time how cheap everything is, but this supermarket (Albert Heijn), is the most expensive one in The Netherlands.

[@WubstahWulf]

Albert Heijn is usually where I go to it has allot of stuff also some import things that are from america that are not produced here like certain brands of peanut butter etc its often also more expensive then its competitors so there are super markets that sell some of the exact same thing for cheaper like lidl etc

[@Dottled]

@Mert Ned, the pink one at 11:09 is a cream cheese, beetroot and goat cheese dip/spread and for the coca cola question, some store brands are really good, some are horrible... its a hit and miss really but if you find one you like youll usually be able to save loads as theyre often atleast half price

[@Jurjen_Warrel_Ottenhoff]

Back in the day the supermarkets here in the Netherlands had butchers and bakers in the stores. But as they grew single stores and small chains to the large companies they are now, they were phased out. Because it's more efficient, and cheaper, to have a a central butcher, or bakery and deliver to stores from there.

[@Franky46Boy]

In almost all supermarkets in the Netherlands fish and meat products are prepacked. You never see fish on ice for instance, like you see at a fishmonger.

[@nickreinders6347]

It would also smell like hell in a closed store, the whole store would smell like it at the end of the day

[@kplkasteel]

@@nickreinders6347 You'd be surprised though, as a Dutchie I used to work at the Albert Heijn in my younger days. Now I work and live in Ireland and at the Dunnes stores and SuperValu they actually have a fresh fish department where the smell isn't that bad at all. Sure, if you hover over the fish with your nose, you can smell it but other than that it's not too bad.

[@MelissavanOosterhout]

Fresh fish only has a minor odor, so of it stinks it's not fresh anymore.

[@steffvalmont6828]

than you should go to Marqt... then again , fish you buy at the market or at a fishmonger indeed

[@kplkasteel]

@@steffvalmont6828 I am from Leiden, we got fish normally from the market which was as fresh as you could get it with Katwijk close by. Traditionally we had fish on Friday as the trawlers would come back at Thursday night/Friday morning, the fish would be auctioned at the fish action and would be fresh at the market.

[@derxen]

Another thing which is pretty interesting (I think) is that the pricing labels are all digital and can be updated wirelessly. They can also change color to indicate something has a special price.

[@gizmo9290]

Where?!

[@prity5631]

they calculated the foodwaste/platic usage if theres that mutch more foodwaste cus plastic being removed they decide to put the recycable plastics around it since foodwaste can be seen just as bad as plastic polution in some cases

[@lauradeheij-joon1474]

Oh and framboos is raspberry, strawberry is aardbei :) My fav sprinkles are the extra dark chocolate flakes ❤ The housebrand cola of most supermarkets, including AH's version are wayyyy sweeter than coca cola, I wouldn't buy them personally but if you don't mind the extra sweetness it's a nice costsaver.

[@stijnvdv2]

There are other supermarkets here that are roughly the same. Jumbo/C1000 but you also have the German cheap supermarkets Aldi and Lidl, which basically strip grocery shopping to the essentials and basically is a cash desk at the end of a warehouse where stuff gets just trucked in with the pallet still attached to it.

[@luidesalph1493]

Home branches are mostlt contracts with better known brands with discounts for the home brands, so it depends on what contract AH in this case has. Your question about the cola for example, it"s not like Pepi or Coca Cola but it still has a good quality too it. About the payments, I live in France but when i visit the Dutch supermarket i have no problems with my bank credit cartes. Also important to know AH has his own shops but there are also franchise shop, idependant shops that have contracts with AH to sell their products, payment by those shops can vary. Best to check by entering the shop if you card is accepted. AH has normaly a servicedesk before entering the shop itself where you could ask if your card is accepted.

[@FantasyKitty]

I live in a middle large town in the countryside and I can assure you our AH (as it's usually called and their logo is also AH) it's much smaller here. I was like 😲 watching this video!

[@sacnereob]

I remember when i was a young guy, there was a butcher and also one for fish and cheese in the Albert Heijn. You also had the pre-packed stuff, which “won” the race, because of the cheaper price. Were still Dutch 😅

[@kplkasteel]

Generally, supermarkets are the same especially branch wise though small difference based on location and store layout and size. I used to work at Albert Heijn in my younger days and always enjoyed it. Albert Heijn could be compared with your Marks and Spencer though no clothing. Also, generally you would have a butcher, fresh cold meats, cheese and bread department where you can order what you require but again it kind of depends on the size. This looks more like a smaller supermarket, but you'd see in the in the suburbs shopping malls always containing an Albert Heijn and these tend to be much bigger. I work and live in Ireland but I order my Dutch supplies via "The Dutch Expat Shop" (had one delivered yesterday) and always get my Choca Vlokken and AH Hagelslag Melk and not to forget Kroketten and Frikandellen.

[@Korilian13]

Supermarkets in the center of A'dam are often amongst the smallest, since they just don't have the space they need to spread out, though the one behind Dam square is decently sized. They sell a lot of tourist junk though.

[@melanievanwinden7300]

In Naaldwijk in Westland there is a very big Jumbo supermarket and you can buy fresh ish sushi meat en lots of other Fresh stuff very good store and big there is even an sitting/ lunch place in the store were you can eat the fresh dishes you buy like soup or warm cheese or (frikandel broodjes )

[@jeroenspacey2358]

im from the netherlands, the best hagelslag (sprinkles) are De Ruyter Pure;-) and the cola from ah is nice for kids but lot sweeter then normal...in rural areas the supermarket is smaller you have XL variant mostly in bigger city the difference is more in the brands they have they have more choice but you will always have the basic choice even in rural country side

[@ichneu]

Fun fact Albert Heijn. The United States is responsible for 60% of the annual turnover as a market, Europe for 40%. The Netherlands is closely intertwined with the United States in many areas. In the financial and technological fields, but also through trade and defense. For example, the total Dutch investments in the US amount to almost 1400 billion dollars. Conversely, 1500 billion dollars. That is why we are Great Friends.

[@leoniesta7706]

Hi, I go to this supermarket chain all the time. It's usually a similar selection wherever you go. prices are ok, but yes inflation has hit us too. In my experience the locations in the smaller towns or rural areas (if you can call it that) have a smaller selection. I have 3 locations within a mile from my house, which is a little excessive. The quality of the freshly made sushi is good, it's relatively cheap. It's like a store in a store and made fresh by a sushi company. (they are actually cooking in the store). Depending on the community in the area the selection of "extra" products might vary. I live in an area with a lot of expats from India and workers from Eastern Europe, so we have specialty product aisles with products of those origins as well. Compared to supermarkets I've been to in other countries I think there's a lot of focus on convenience products (sliced produce and those meal prep packs for example) and maybe a little too much of the pretentious products, but that also depends where you are. overall i like it.

[@Sanquinity]

We do have butchers, fish shops, bakeries, etc. But they tend to have smaller specialist stores and are separate from the big store chains. Heck we even have special cheese stores who sell nothing but different cheeses. :P

[@EdwinHofstra]

They usually sell nuts as well.

[@robkieft6155]

you were wondering why it does not accept visa or mastercard credit cards, that's because the Netherlands is paying mostly with debit cards, money actually on people's bank accounts, only a small portion of Dutch people have a credit card

[@bertusvanhal8855]

Almost every town have 4 or 5 Supermarkets, i live in a little village and we have here: 3x Ah, 1xAh XL, 1x Jumbo, 1x Aldi, 1x Boni, 3x Lidl and the 5x small Supermarkets [own brand].

[@RealConstructor]

My town has 19,000 residents and 2x AH, an Aldi, a Lidl, a Boni, a Hoogvliet and a small organic supermarket.

[@mvdh877]

always people with luck we only have jumbo here where i live

[@Mus.Anonymouse]

Supermarkets can sell stron liquor, but it needs to be separated from the general access. Only 18+ can enter that section. Jumbo, Vomar, Plus, Dirk all have a strong liquor section (most of them) Albert Heijn does not have them (or very seldom), but they have almost all a Gall & Gall nearby (Gall & Gall is the liquor shop of Albert Heijn). Aldi, Lidl often do not have heavy liquor setions.

[@nickreinders6347]

It’s pretty much the exact same concept as Gall en Gall is to Albert Heijn, just inside the supermarket in a separate closed room. It’s technically not IN the supermarket but to save money on rent they thought of just making the store inside the store and close it to anyone younger then 18

[@margreetanceaux3906]

Butchers and cheese-from-the-knife (as we call it) have disappeared from the AH years ago. Luckily there’s still a bake-off. AH is not cheap, but it surely helps if you prepare your shopping list. I order online and many times get discounts for around 15% of my shopping (without falling for offers I wouldn’t buy otherwise). And being retired I choose their cheapest moment for delivery at my doorstep, for under €2.

[@darrenislar1053]

most supermarkets in big cities have this kind of assortment (in smaller towns it is somewhat, although this might already be one of those smaller supermarkets) nn really small rural aereas you might have more local shops with a really small assortiment. But to be honest, that is pretty rare. A lot of vegetables are grown here, though when it is cheaper in one of the other countries in the EU, you will sure see them as well, especially the eco ones.

[@gillsejusbates6938]

The pink spread is naturally colored by red beet/beetroot!

[@Martin-di9pp]

My favorite supermarket is the once closest and/or most convenient to get to. The difference between the various brands are pretty minor.

[@CianWolffensperger]

I live in teh netherlands, we have great supermarkets, they did make the colors pop way more than they do in real life though.

[@TCAC021]

the albert heijn is one of, if not the most expensive supermarket in the netherlands. i don't shop there because of this (i'm a broke student XD) i usually go to one of these three: boni, hoogvliet or lidl. they are specialised stores. (lidl is cheap in fruits and veggies, hoogvliet in meats (I think) and the boni has a lot of options for bread, even later in the day.) if i could go to all three in a day, i would, but i have to pick one every week... a single person household could spent between 20 to 30 euro's on a week worth of food and drink. that's cheap. if i were to shop in my local albert heijn, that price would shoot up to 40 to 50 probably, but it depends on what you get and if it's on sale.i just don't bother anymore, it's expensive nonetheless

[@mrbal.]

I honestly think that no supermarket can beat nettorama prices like sometimes I wonder if they even pay their staff because of how low the prices are over there

[@UnitedRobloxian]

en wij hebben nettorama ja mam

[@nickreinders6347]

What is Nettorama? Never heard of it in my life or ever seen one. It’s somewhere in Eastern Europe?

[@UnitedRobloxian]

@@nickreinders6347 It is in germany and eastern europe

[@mrbal.]

@@nickreinders6347 Oh there really aren't a lot of them maybe like 20 in the netherlands but those 20 are pretty big for a supermarket in the netherlands but in general all of the prices there are a lot lower then anywhere else luckily I got one close by :)

[@Rein_]

@@nickreinders6347 it is also in the netherlands but don't have many stores.

[@Johnjohnthejohn]

Man this Albert was understocked. The ones in Amster would be I guess. They keep the selves stocked hourly in most of the country. It's the most expensive supermarket though.

[@corjp]

We used to have a butcher section in the Albert Heijn shops with pre cut meat of all sorts and you could order your meats there (sizes and weights to your liking) , but shat stopped due health rules and extra personal rules( so I was told by an employee) ) . So there is only the pre-packed meat section now.

[@ginoh007]

Visa and Mastercard are indeed not possible to use at most stores in The Netherlands and you would have to go to a bank or ATM in most cases, we do debit cards but not credit cards.

[@dutchyjhome]

Hey, nice video ! One thing though; the girl from the original video is partially right when it comes down to paying with cards. Yes, we used to have the Maestro Debit Bank Card pay system which was operational throughout the entire EU and even beyond the EU in other countries in Europe, maybe even beyond Europe as well. But... We have changed recently from the Maestro Debit Bank Card system in to the Visa Debit Bank Card and Master Debit Bank Card system, which are not to be mistaken for a Visa Credit Card or Master Credit Card. All Maestro Debit Cards have been replaced for a Visa Debit Bank Card or a Master Debit Bank Card, and the Maestro cards ones that are still active will be replaced soon as well. The all new Visa and Master Debit Bank Card system will operate in the entire EU and probably even beyond the EU. The recycle system of glass and plastic bottles has been upgraded as well. Now small bottles also can be recycled and that also goes for beverage cans, just to make sure there is less trash in nature.

[@jayandreas1131]

Video seemed to underrepresent the bread section. She just showed the items that were not pre packed. The pre packed are in the overwhelming majority, plus there is also a whole section of bread stuff that you have to put into the oven for about fifteen minutes.

[@lorettabes4553]

The AH sushi is okay, it's mainly the rice that isn't always cooked the best, but if you crave Sushi it's a good option. AH supermarktets can vary in size. The one we have competes with 2 other markets. We have a fish monger and vegetable seller right across the AH. As well as a bakery and butcher, so we have lots of options. I live in a smaller town that is being expanded: Our AH has a butcher and baked goods. It's sizable for sure

[@TheSuperappelflap]

There are some vineyards in the south of the Netherlands but theyre very small scale. And you wont find those in supermarkets. That wine is all imported from all over the world. France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Romania, Austria, Peru, South Africa, and Australia, mostly.

[@remkeveerling6108]

In Nederland is er overal heel veel keus in groenten en fruit. Iedereen eet daardoor heel gezond. De verschillen zijn de soort supermarkt, en er zijn ook markten buiten, op straat. Daar is het meestal goedkoper. Maar er blijft heel, heel erg veel keus!

[@yourivanderceelen555]

we have seperate fishmonger shops and butcher shops, supermarket meats and fish are prepackaged and more convenient, but also cheaper and lower quality than you would get at a dedicated butcher/fishmonger

[@niekvdsteen]

I go to the AH every day before work (breakfast and lunch, yes I am someone who eats breakfast behind his desk). But somehow I go to Jumbo to buy me dinner. :)

[@carolagroenendijk1977]

In small villages jou have the Spar. Talking about expensive. And they don't have discountcards.

[@doreenbierens]

Plastic is recycled and reused in the Netherlands. In a lot of places you have bins for glass, plastic and paper. On plastic bottles and metal cans you get a small amount of money back if you bring it back to the store.

[@quizillafreak]

My tiny village in the south has an Aldi and a Plusmarkt, but atleast 10 more supermarkets are within 20 minutes drive lol

[@DisclosureExtremist]

I live in Leidsche Rijn on the edge of Utrecht and within a 20 min drive radius, i think its more then 100 supermarkets. For real!