The Netherlands has three major cash and carry wholesalers, Makro, Sligro and Hanos, running roughly 80 warehouse locations between them, but none of them will let you through the door with a regular debit card alone. You need an active KVK registration and a business pass before you can shop at any of them.
What You Need Before You Shop: KVK and a Business Pass
Unlike Albert Heijn or Jumbo, these are business-only warehouses. To get in, you generally need:
- An active Chamber of Commerce (KVK) registration, whether you operate as an eenmanszaak, a B.V., or another registered business or freelance structure.
- A store specific pass, applied for online or at a customer service desk, usually by showing your KVK extract and valid ID.
Once registered, these stores operate on a wholly different scale to a supermarket: wide aisles, pallet sized packaging, and prices shown exclusief BTW (excluding VAT), since businesses reclaim or offset VAT through their quarterly BTW return rather than paying it at the till.
Makro: The Generalist for Any Registered Business
Makro is the most familiar name for international newcomers, combining a restaurant supply store, an electronics superstore, an office supply depot and a bulk grocery market under one roof. It has historically served the hospitality (horeca) sector but today welcomes general business owners, freelancers and small office managers just as readily.
Makro runs 17 branches spread across major Dutch cities, including Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, The Hague, Breda, Groningen and Hengelo, and is generally considered the most accessible of the three for freelancers and smaller businesses outside food service.
Best for: IT consultants, designers, agency owners and anyone who wants electronics, office supplies and bulk groceries in one trip.
Sligro: Built for Food Service and Hospitality
Sligro is the dominant name in Dutch food service. If you have eaten in a restaurant, hotel or lunch spot in Amsterdam or Eindhoven, there is a good chance its kitchen was stocked by a Sligro delivery or warehouse run. Sligro's strength is fresh produce, meat, seafood and specialty cheese and wine, alongside professional kitchen equipment, and it operates a network of around 50 cash and carry outlets nationwide plus a well regarded direct delivery service that lets many business owners order online rather than visit a branch at all.
Best for: restaurants, cafes, caterers and food trucks, and anyone who values home or business delivery over a warehouse visit.
Hanos: The Gourmet Specialist
Hanos sits at the premium end, built around dry-aged beef cellars, extensive cheese rooms and specialty ingredients sourced globally, aimed at professional chefs, artisan bakers and boutique caterers. It runs around 17 large branches, including flagship locations in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Apeldoorn and Delft. Registration tends to favor businesses operating in food, hospitality or catering, so a freelancer in an unrelated field may find it a harder account to open than Makro.
Best for: chefs and caterers who need rare, high end or specialty ingredients that a general wholesaler will not stock.
Which One Should You Choose?
| Feature | Makro | Sligro | Hanos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | General business, office supplies, electronics and food | Food service, horeca and catering | Ultra-premium, specialty culinary ingredients |
| Easiest to join | Almost any registered business | Food or hospitality businesses preferred | Food, hospitality or catering businesses preferred |
| Approximate branches | 17 | 50 | 17 |
| Best for | Freelancers, office managers, general bulk buying | Restaurants, cafes, caterers, delivery convenience | Fine dining chefs and gourmet caterers |
Many small business owners end up with an account at more than one, using Makro for general supplies and Sligro or Hanos when food quality matters more.
Insider Tips for Wholesale Shopping
1. Expect prices excluding VAT. Do not be surprised by the sticker price; your BTW return evens this out. 2. Go off-peak if you can. These are large industrial spaces with pallet sized aisles and big trolleys; weekday mornings are far calmer than Saturday. 3. Think about transport and storage. You are buying 5 liter tins, not single bottles, so make sure you have the car space and storage room to bring it all home. 4. Rules can change. Membership criteria, store counts and sector requirements shift over time, so confirm current requirements on each wholesaler's own website before your first visit.
If you are looking for everyday Indian groceries rather than business-scale bulk buying, our guide to Indian Grocery Stores covers your regular shopping options. For the registration side of starting a business in the first place, see our guide to Setting Up a Business.
References
- HANOS store locations (Openingstijden.nl)
- Makro store overview (1Folders.nl)
- Makro Official Website (Makro)
- Sligro Official Website (Sligro)
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