Furnishing a Dutch flat on a budget? Skip the expensive showroom and learn the local secret: the kringloopwinkel. With nearly 2,000 of them across the country, these second-hand stores are full of cheap furniture, clothes, books and bikes, and they’re where you donate what you no longer need, too. Here is how to thrift like a local.
What a kringloopwinkel is
A kringloopwinkel is a Dutch second-hand/thrift store, selling donated goods cheaply. As overviews of kringloopwinkels explain, there are nearly 2,000 in the Netherlands, and many have a social mission, offering work experience to people far from the labour market, or supporting good causes. So your bargain hunt does some good too.
What you’ll find
Pretty much everything usable, as thrift-store guides describe:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| meubels | furniture (sofas, tables, cabinets, beds) |
| kleding | clothing (vintage, brand, kids’) |
| boeken | books (from ~50 cents) |
| serviesgoed | dishware |
| fietsen | bikes |
| elektronica / speelgoed | electronics / toys |
Quality ranges from worn to genuine vondsten (finds). Bigger stores sort clothes by size and have whole furniture floors with hundreds of pieces.
Donating (and free pickup)
The kringloopwinkel runs on donations, so you can give as well as buy. As thrift-warehouse chains note, they accept items that are clean, intact and usable, broken or dirty things are refused. And handily, many shops will collect large furniture or appliances for free or a small fee if you have no car or trailer, a responsible alternative to dumping usable things (or putting them out as grofvuil).
The vocabulary (and the haggling)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| tweedehands | second-hand |
| kringloop | recycling/reuse |
| inleveren / doneren | to drop off / donate |
| ophalen | to collect (pickup) |
| koopje | a bargain |
| vondst | a find |
A nice bonus: unlike at a fixed-price street market, the kringloop is one of the places where a little friendly afdingen (haggling) is acceptable, the spirit we cover in where bargaining belongs in the Netherlands. “Kan er nog wat van de prijs af?” (Can you take a bit off?) is fair game.
Where it connects
The kringloopwinkel is part of the Dutch second-hand and shopping world, alongside selling your own things on King’s Day like an Amsterdam merchant, and the everyday shopping of the toko for groceries and the fitting room for clothes. It’s also a sustainability staple, very on-brand for a country that loves reuse.
The bottom line
The kringloopwinkel is the Dutch thrift store, nearly 2,000 of them, packed with cheap meubels, kleding, boeken and fietsen, often with a social mission. You can buy bargains and donate (clean, usable items; many shops collect big things for free), and a little friendly haggling is fine. Learn tweedehands, inleveren, ophalen, and koopje, and you’ll furnish your flat, find your vintage jacket, and clear your clutter the local, sustainable, and very cheap way.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the everyday shopping Dutch the kringloopwinkel uses, tweedehands, ophalen, inleveren, koopje by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can thrift, haggle a little, and donate like a local instead of guessing at the signs.
Frequently asked questions
What is a kringloopwinkel?
A kringloopwinkel is a Dutch second-hand or thrift store selling donated goods cheaply, furniture, clothing, books, bikes, dishware, toys and electronics. There are nearly 2,000 across the Netherlands. Many have a social mission, offering work experience to people far from the labour market, or supporting good causes. It is a popular, sustainable, and very budget-friendly way to furnish a home or find clothes.
Can I donate things to a kringloopwinkel, and how?
Yes. Kringloopwinkels accept items that are clean, intact and still usable; broken or dirty things are refused. You can drop off smaller items at the store, and many kringloopwinkels will collect large furniture or appliances for free or a small fee if you don’t have a car or trailer. It’s a handy, responsible alternative to throwing usable things away (or to grofvuil).
Is it normal to buy second-hand in the Netherlands?
Very. Thrift culture is strong and unembarrassing here, and the kringloopwinkel is a mainstream way to furnish a flat, find vintage clothes, or grab cheap books and bikes. Prices are low (books from 50 cents, furniture far below retail), and quality varies from worn to genuine finds. For newcomers furnishing a place on a budget, it’s often the first stop.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for shopping and second-hand stores?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the everyday shopping Dutch the kringloopwinkel uses, tweedehands, ophalen, inleveren, koopje, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can thrift, haggle a little, and donate like a local instead of guessing at the signs.
