Hengelo Shopping

AH ToGo opened at the end of 2011 and is located in the Hengelo train station.

The shop is aimed at train travellers and mainly carries fresh food products.
But also a small supply of non-food products are for sale.

Hours:
Mo-Fr: 6.30AM - 10PM
Sa: 8AM - 10PM
Su: 10AM - 8PM

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Pop Eye is the shop for buying music or concert tickets. Owner Johan Dollekamp is a last resort for many music lovers.

In 2011 the shop celebrated its 30-iest year with a free concert by befriended artist at Metropool.

Business hours:
Mo: 1.30PM - 5.30PM
Tu-We: 11.30AM - 5.30PM
Th: 11.30AM - 5.30PM and 7PM - 9PM
Fr: 11.30AM - 5.30PM
Sa: 10AM - 5PM

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As a smallish Dutch town Hengelo has some interesting little shops and also has this modern shopping mall, the De Brink, which is more interesting as a piece of urban planning than it is for its shops.

Post World War II (during which the town was heavily bombed) the local authorities attempted to rebuild the commercial centre around the marketplace. This proved to be relatively unsuccessful in attracting businesses and shoppers into the town and the market square became used mainly as a parking lot.

In the 1990's the town's planners looked for innovative ideas and the mall's developers, Bolles and Wilson, came up with the idea of building a multi-use shopping mall which incorporated underground car parking, residential space and connected the town centre to the railway and bus stations.

OK I was only here on a Sunday night and Monday morning and so can't attest to the success of the shopping bit but overall it certainly looks impressive. The towering concrete obelisk attracts the eye to the marketplace whilst the sleek steel-gantried walkway through the shops is visually inviting. The residential apartments are ideally located for both the town and the public transport termini and the parked cars are hidden from view.

Whilst I'm not the world's biggest fan of modern architecture I quite liked this.

What to buy: There's quite a good range of shops including a V&D department store, ABN Amro bank and a couple of cafes.

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The HEMA once started as the "Hollandse Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam", a kind of Dollar store. In the very beginning all items were just 25 cents.

Now the HEMA is known for is general household items, clothing and its famous HEMA Worst (sausage).

The HEMA has branches in each Dutch town.

The Hrngelo HEMA had a small restaurant as well.

Business hours:
Mo: 11AM - PM
Tu-We: 9AM - 6PM
Th: 9AM - 9PM
Fr: 9AM - 6PM
Sa: 9AM - 5.30PM

Boekhandel Broekhuis is the leading Hengelo bookstore. Over the years the store moved from the Enschedesestraat to its present location near the Thiemsbrug Mall. In 2010 the store at this location was renovated after the closure of the basement section.

The store has most popular books in house; otherwise they are known for their quick order, notifying and delivery system. Many overseas magazines are available too.

At times special evenings or signing sessions are organised to bridge the gap between writers and their readers.

What to buy: Books and magzines (and an occational postcard)

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Hengelo has weekly market at Wednesday and Saturday; 8.30AM - 5PM.

The following stalls are on the market:
- Vegetables
- Candy
- Meatproducts
- Bread and cookies
- Fish and Oriental goodies
- Bags and leather goods
- Clothing
- Books and magazines
- Mixed household

At times there are one-day-only stand workers

At the Fanshop all kind of FC Twente (the premier league soccer team of Enschede) souvenirs can be bought.

Business hours:
Tu-We: 1.30PM - 6PM
Th: 1.30PM - 9PM
Fr: 1.30PM - 6PM
Sa: 9AM - 5PM

What to buy: FC Twente stuff.

The shop of Marijke Dijkhof is a former smithy, completely rebuild but with some nice old tools integrated into the new studio.
Marijke speciality is the creation of children's portrets, which she can print on linnen and other materials.

What to buy: A picture