Amsterdam is a shopping nirvana with a wide range of stores catering to different audiences, tastes and budgets. The only drawback is that most shops close by 6 in the evening. Shops are open till 9pm on Thursdays and on Sunday from 10 -17:00.

The commercial areas in Amsterdam are:

• Nieuwedijk- Kalverstraat: the main shopping artery crammed with shops, big and small selling everything from books to clothes
• Leidsestraat: another vibrant street which ends in the Leidseplein, a lively square to people watch once you're done with your shopping
• PC Hooftstraat: home to some of the most expensive brands, this is the place to go to if you've got exclusive taste
• The Nine streets is an interesting area to stroll through. It has a unique blend of shops you will not find elsewhere - there's the tooth brush shop, the candle shop, a shop that sells everything from the 1920's, another that sells only things from the 50's and 60's!

Super and Hypermarkets

• Albert Heijn
• Super de Boer
• C1000
• Jumbo
• Lidl
• Spar
• Aldi

Malls

• Bijenkorf Shopping Centre
• V&D Shopping Centre
• Hema
• Magna Plaza Shopping Centre
• Maison de Bonneterie
• Amsterdam Diamond Centre

For the night owls, there are night shops (avondwinkels) that can be found in major cities, usually opening from 4pm to 1 or 2am. In general, shops shut a little earlier on Saturday.