Shopping

Shops

Shops are usually open from around 9 am to around 6 pm, except on Saturdays when most shops close at 5 pm. Luxury shops like clothes shops and shoe shops may have other opening hours.
Most shops will be closed on Monday morning, except for big department stores and supermarkets. You can do your late night shopping in the major cities on Thursday evening until 9 pm and on Friday evening for smaller municipalities.

Shops are closed on Sundays, except for special Sunday openings. Arnhem's Sunday openings take place every first Sunday of the month from noon till 5 pm. Click here for the Sunday openings in Nijmegen. (Dutch only).

Shops are closed on the following national holidays: 1 Jan; Good Fri; Easter Sun & Mon; Queen's Day, 30 Apr; 5 May; Ascension; Whitsun & Monday;  25 & 26 Dec.

More information about Shopping in Arnhem Nijmegen Cool Region

Supermarkets

Most supermarkets have extended their opening hours over the last couple of years. They open up at 9 am or sometimes even at 8 or 8.30 am. Small supermarkets close at 6 pm, larger stores remain open until 8 pm or even as late as 10 pm. Unlike other shops, supermarkets are often open on Monday mornings.

Supermarkets have the same Sunday and holiday closures as other shops.

Markets

'Your money goes farther at the market' is what people say. Markets are not only cheap but also very enjoyable.

Arnhem

Arnhem has a big market of 128 stalls on Fridays from 8.30 am to 1 pm and a smaller market of 55 stalls on Saturdays from 8.30 am to 5 pm. Location: Kerkplein near the Eusebiuskerk. On Tuesdays there is a fruit and vegetable market of 18 stalls on the Jansplaats from 8.30 am to 3 pm.
On Wednesdays there is a market of 63 stalls near shopping mall De Drieslag in Malburgen, in the south of Arnhem from 8.30 am to 1 pm.

Nijmegen

On Mondays there is a flea market (Lusemert) in Nijmegen with 25 stalls around the Stevenskerk and a vegetable market with 35 stalls on Kelfkensbos from 9 am to 2 pm.
On Mondays there is also a large commodities market on the Augustijnenstraat, Grote Markt, Burchtstraat and Hoogstraat with 120 stalls from 9.15 am to 6 pm. During the months of October to March the market closes at 4 pm.
On Saturdays the commodities market with 55 stalls can also be found on Augustijnenstraat, Grote Markt and Burchtstraat, and the vegetable market with 25 stalls on Kelkensbos.

Other municipalities

Various villages and neighbourhoods outside the centre also have weekly markets. For further information please visit the web sites of the relevant municipalities.

Banks

Opening hours for Dutch banks may vary from bank to bank. Most banks are open from Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm and on Mondays from 1 to 4 pm. Banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. In weekends you can go to the GWK exchange offices located at train stations.

Post offices

General Post Offices (GPOs) are rapidly disappearing in the Netherlands. All postal services are now provided through independent TNT post shops  and in sub post offices. Sub post offices are counters in supermarkets, office stationers, bookshops, tobacco shops and chemists and can be identified by the TNT post logo. These offices have similar opening hours to the shop in which they are located.

Arnhem still has two GPOs: in Winkelcentrum Kronenburg shopping mall and on Lange Wal (to be closed in 2011). GPOs are open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm and Saturday, 9 am to 13.30 pm.

The GPO in Nijmegen has already been closed and replaced by a TNT post shop at Bisschop Hamerstraat 2. The shop opens early at 8 am and closes late at 6.30 pm. It is also open for late night shopping and on Saturdays.

Stamps are often readily available at supermarkets and bookshops. For this purpose, these shops keep a collection of stamps behind the counter. There are also plenty of shops where you can get stamps when you buy cards, including Bruna,  Primera, The Read Shop, V&D and Supermarkets.

Restaurants

A lot of restaurants will be closed on Mondays. Please bear in mind that for the rest of the week restaurants may stop serving food after 8.30 pm so you will not be able to order anything. Dutch traditional dinner time is around 6 pm.