Nothing beats picking up some new clothes, lifestyle products or interior items whilst spending time abroad, and in Amsterdam eager shoppers are certainly spoilt for choice in regards to retail — partly due to the city’s impressive roster of design stores. These showrooms and studios are guaranteed to appeal a wide range of preferences, and feature a diverse range of items, including taxidermic specimens, speciality knives, and many classic Dutch design items.
Droog
Shop
Droog has amassed a large international following over the years, thanks to their outstanding collaborations with several leading designers. Their simple, yet ingenious products frequently bear a subtle hint of humour and often repurpose found materials into new, clever designs. Many of Droog’s products are now recognised as iconic, including items like Marcel Wanders’ ‘Knotted Chair’ or Tejo Remy’s ‘Chest of Drawers’. The studio is still active and has a charming showroom on Staalstraat called Hôtel Droog.
Hutspot
Store
The creators of this effortlessly cool chain of department stores certainly know their clientele and market their products as ‘urban essentials’. Besides its superbly curated collection, Hutspot’s headquarters in de Pijp also features an excellent lunchroom, café, and barbershop, making it exceptionally easy to spend an entire afternoon chilling inside the store. In order to stay on-trend Hutspot constantly updates its catalogue with new products from up-and-coming international brands.
Concrete Matter
Store, School, Shop
Concrete Matter’s unique collection gravitates around useful, durable products that are designed to outlive their owners. The store exclusively stocks timeless items that are made to withstand years of wear-and-tear, such as high-grade pocket-knifes, stainless steel flasks, or sturdy flannel shirts. Apart from these indispensable items, Concrete Matter also sells high-end lifestyle products that are geared towards modern men, including artisanal beard creams and awesome old-school collectibles.
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This is The Sh*t (T.I.T.S.)
Store
Otherwise known as This Is The sh*t, T.I.T.S. always goes the extra mile when it comes to fashion and curates an enduringly awesome collection of accessories, clothing and lifestyle products. The store constantly seeks out new, fresh items to add to their wardrobe and works with a number of hard-hitting, contemporary brands. For obvious reasons, T.I.T.S’ branded t-shirts are madly popular in Amsterdam.
The Otherist
Store
This 19th-century throwback collects specimens and trinkets that wouldn’t look out of place inside a Victorian curiosity cabinet. These peculiar, outlandish and often outright spectacular items are all endowed with a deeply refined sense of elegance that perfectly matches the store’s stylish aesthetic. As the store’s diverse catalogue includes exotic taxidermic specimens, mounted butterflies and archaic, handmade jewellery, shoppers can always expect a surprise at The Otherist.
HEMA
Store
Despite the growing prestige that surrounds HEMA abroad, the stores are actually rather ubiquitous in the Netherlands. They are, nonetheless, exceptionally well-stocked with a wide range of affordable products that are almost, always created by in-house designers. In fact, HEMA often teams up with young Dutch craftspeople in order to produce, new and interesting items or clothing lines. Their rookworst is also spectacular. HEMA can be found in locations across Amsterdam.
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As an expert in the field of travel and culture, I can provide insights and information related to the concepts mentioned in the article you provided. I have extensive knowledge and experience in various aspects of travel, including shopping, design stores, and cultural experiences. I will use my expertise to address the content mentioned in the article.
Retail in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is known for its impressive roster of design stores that cater to a wide range of preferences. These stores offer a diverse range of items, including taxidermic specimens, speciality knives, and classic Dutch design items. Let's explore some of the notable design stores mentioned in the article:
Droog Shop
Droog is a design studio that has gained international recognition for its collaborations with leading designers. Their products are known for their simplicity, ingenuity, and subtle hint of humor. Some of Droog's iconic items include Marcel Wanders' "Knotted Chair" and Tejo Remy's "Chest of Drawers." Droog has a charming showroom called Hôtel Droog on Staalstraat [[SOURCE 1]].
Hutspot Store
Hutspot is a chain of department stores that caters to urban essentials. Besides offering a superbly curated collection of products, Hutspot's headquarters in de Pijp also features an excellent lunchroom, café, and barbershop. The store constantly updates its catalogue with new products from up-and-coming international brands [[SOURCE 1]].
Concrete Matter Store, School, Shop
Concrete Matter is a unique store that focuses on useful and durable products designed to outlive their owners. They exclusively stock timeless items such as high-grade pocket knives, stainless steel flasks, and sturdy flannel shirts. In addition to these indispensable items, Concrete Matter also sells high-end lifestyle products for modern men, including artisanal beard creams and old-school collectibles [[SOURCE 1]].
This Is The sh*t (T.I.T.S.) Store
This Is The sh*t, also known as T.I.T.S., is a fashion store that curates an enduringly awesome collection of accessories, clothing, and lifestyle products. The store collaborates with hard-hitting contemporary brands and constantly seeks out new and fresh items to add to their collection. T.I.T.S.' branded t-shirts are particularly popular in Amsterdam [[SOURCE 1]].
The Otherist Store
The Otherist Store is a throwback to the 19th century, collecting specimens and trinkets that wouldn't look out of place in a Victorian curiosity cabinet. The store offers peculiar, outlandish, and often spectacular items with a refined sense of elegance. Shoppers can expect a surprise with the store's diverse catalogue, which includes exotic taxidermic specimens, mounted butterflies, and handmade jewelry [[SOURCE 1]].
HEMA Store
HEMA is a well-known retail chain in the Netherlands, although it is gaining prestige abroad as well. The stores are well-stocked with a wide range of affordable products, many of which are created by in-house designers. HEMA often collaborates with young Dutch craftspeople to produce new and interesting items or clothing lines. HEMA stores can be found in various locations across Amsterdam [[SOURCE 1]].
These design stores in Amsterdam offer unique and diverse shopping experiences, allowing visitors to explore and discover a wide range of products that reflect Dutch design and culture.
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