HEMA

HEMA — short for Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, 'Dutch Fixed-Price Company Amsterdam' — was founded on November 4, 1926, by Leo Meyer and Arthur Isaac, who opened their first shop on Amsterdam's Kalverstraat. Their concept was to sell mixed everyday goods at a small number of fixed prices — originally 10, 25 and 50 cents, later extended to 75 cents and a guilder — bringing a department-store shopping model to ordinary customers rather than the wealthy clientele the era's grand department stores served. The chain expanded steadily before growing rapidly from 1958 onward, when HEMA became the first Dutch company to use franchising to open new locations. It has since become one of the most recognized retail names in the Netherlands, selling own-brand clothing, homeware, stationery, cosmetics and food items, including its stroopwafels. As of 2023, the chain operated close to 750 stores across nine countries, including a mix of company-owned and franchise locations outside the Netherlands, and the company marked its centenary in 2026.