Why Grocery Shopping is Better in Amsterdam

When it comes to differences between life in North America versus life in the Netherlands, grocery shopping might just be the biggest thing.

In this video I discuss the differences between the fresh-food approach taken in the Netherlands compared to the bulk shopping car-centric approach of North America. For our family, it's not even a question: we think the Dutch approach is far superior.

NJB Live (my bicycle livestream channel):

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Map data provided by Google Maps.

[danrobrish]

When I lived in Philadelphia, I got rid of my car. My boss lived in the suburbs and was utterly confused about how it was possible to live without a car. I told him it was only a mile to walk to work. "What do you do when it rains?" "I wear a raincoat." "How do you buy groceries?" "I walk to the grocery store." This went on for a while. Eventually, I asked him, "Did any of your ancestors live in an American city before World War II?" He confirmed that they did, so I said, "For the most part, I do what they did."

[jhjpater]

american supermarkets looks like a tool warehouse

[PredatorXi]

Damn when you showed America's supermarkets I suddenly got really depressed...

[justsamoo]

As a Slovenian, The American grocery stores give me anxiety. It looks like warehouses just filled with people.

[lunchbox]

Something you should have mentioned is that with smaller shops, a lot of them are run by local citizens, so the money doesnt go to some corporate scum but to the people you live and interact with daily.

[s.s.s]

I have never thought that there is a correlation between food waste and bulk grocery shopping and how grocery store near your house is actually preventing food waste. This is mind blowing and I would like to do this research in my country too. Tq for the enlightenment

[thejesuschrist]

Awesome! Everything can be done by bicycle! ESPECIALLY grocery shopping! Keep spreading the gospel!

[ruhalfoyls]

These comment sections have become nothing other then Dutch people patting them selfs on the back.

[LilBoyHexley]

I live in Houston, TX (one of the most car-centric cities in the world), but coincidentally moved into an apartment with parking attached to a very nice grocery store next-door. Being able to walk over to the grocer in minutes for whatever specific need I have on the day I want it has been one of the most significant convenience upgrades to my life.

I realize now how much I truly hate how inconvenient and wasteful it is trying to sort out a shopping trip to account for a week+ of time, or just having to get in a car to acquire groceries in general. I'm actually dreading the day where I move somewhere that no longer has this availability.

[lesbianmess]

"why grocery shopping in Amsterdam is better"
The rest of the Netherlands: am I a joke to you?

[justjazzper]

As someone that lives in The Netherlands, this series makes me appreciate things I always took for granted xdd

[RaccKing]

Finding yours and Adam Something's channels has been a fascinating journey. Even though I live what could be almost called a third world country (Serbia), I've been taking for granted thing's I could've never thought of.

My shopping routine is basically this: buy food that spoils for at most the next 3 days, and replenish shelf stable foodstuffs (like flour, pasta, sugar, canned stuff if I need it). I rarely have stuff in my fridge, since I only buy what we'll need. And grocery shop is either the one built into our building (I pop on my flip flops and go down there in my PJ's to pick up some tuna or sour cream) or to the store that's 200 meters away where there is a bakery, a butchers and a produce section, and after at most an hour of shopping, I'm back home with several bags of groceries. We even have several markets in the city, where you can buy anything from produce to cheap clothes or other stuff that was acquired in questionable manner in Western Europe.

Same for a walkable city and public transport. As much as we Serbs bitch about our city buses, they're still leagues above North American public transport. Almost every street has it's bus stop or a bus stop very close by. I can walk to the city center in 30 minutes if I take my time, and almost all streets have a bike lane (though some have seen better days) where I can rollerblade to my college.

Honestly, this has been quite a life changing experience to say the least. While we can definitely improve what we have here, I'm certainly going to take these things for granted a bit less now.

[pleunvaniersel]

Why am I watching this when I’ve lived in the Netherlands since I was born 😂

[Graysandal]

The habit of buying groceries once every 2 days or every day is something the shops like aswell. You're more compelled to buy impulse items, so you end up spending more on a weekly/monthly basis.

Also the idea of grocery staff bagging my items sounds so weird and uncomfortable to me as a dutch person.

[Earth]

Wow, this is very interesting and eye opening for me. I'm a sustainability consultant, who often consult and advocate the effectiveness, benefits, and sustainability of public transit and pedestrian oriented development.
However, even I often considered grocery shopping as an exception, where car is the preferable choice. I knew these types of cities with easily accessible grocery stores exists, yet it never occurred to me how it works.
Thanks a lot for the very informative and interesting video!!!

[JosephBayot]

Going grocery shopping was never something I enjoyed back in the States, but now that I live in the Netherlands, it's one of my favorite things!

[Zoza]

Its not just Amsterdam local groceries is throughout the whole country. ;)

[XantheOwl]

Living in rural US, it's such a joy seeing your videos. It's definitely helped me figure out that car-centrism is both the reason I would never want to live in a US city and what I don't like about living outside of a town.

[fryfrysk]

You do not need to take a handscanner entering the store e.g. in case of just a few items.
You can scan those directly at the self-checkout .

[Sapphire]

As a Dutchie the American supermarkets gave me anxiety