our story
our story p1

90+ years of history
The Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, or H.E.M.A., opened its first department store in Amsterdam on 4 November 1926. Founders Leo Meyer and Arthur Isaac wanted to open a department store for "ordinary" people. Before this, department stores were very much aimed at wealthy people and most store personnel spoke French. HEMA, as it would later become known, was the first department store of its kind in the Netherlands. Products were priced at 10, 25 or 50 cents. And from day one, the essence of HEMA was defined as: optimistic, unique, clear, reliable, accessible and as typically Dutch.
In 1927, HEMA opened its first store outside of Amsterdam and just a year later there were ten HEMA stores in the Netherlands. In the 1950s, HEMA was the first franchise organisation in the Netherlands and is still the largest franchise operator in the Netherlands. From 1958 onwards, HEMA picked up the pace of its expansion, rapidly opening new stores across the country. Then in 1984, HEMA opened its first store abroad, in Belgium.
The number of stores grew quickly and is still growing. Today, we have more than 775 stores in twelve countries, with 19,000 employees serving over six million visitors every week. We remain loyal to our history, perfectly expressed in our brand essence: our products are always high quality, well designed and sold at a great price. All our products are developed in house, are sustainable and range from food to non-food articles. Which is why our products can be found in every household. In addition to our stores, we also offer 24/7 online shopping in all the countries in which we operate.
zwart wit foto's our story

our brand p2

our brand
Everyone at HEMA shares a passion: to make daily life better, easier and more fun. That is also expressed perfectly in the essence of the HEMA brand, a triangle that symbolises the ideal balance between good quality, good design and great prices. Each side of this triangle is equally important and together they form an extraordinary combination that results in a number of the characteristics that make HEMA unique:
optimistic > HEMA makes products that put a smile on your face
clear > HEMA products are easy to use
accessible > HEMA is for everyone
typical Dutch > HEMA products are no-nonsense with a smile
reliable > HEMA products are great quality
unique > all developed by HEMA itself
It is these characteristics that help HEMA make the ordinary extraordinary
our milestones first 3 facts

2. our milestones secound 3 facts
