100 years of HEMA (1926): Do more with less money

HEMA (formerly an acronym for Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam ) is a Dutch chain of department stores. In 2023 , the retail chain had nearly 750 branches in nine countries across two continents. Most stores are located in the Netherlands; other countries with branches include Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Germany, France, and the United Arab Emirates. HEMA is owned by the Van Eerd family (owners of Jumbo Supermarkets). The department store is characterized by its range of products for daily use and an assortment that is almost entirely produced specifically for HEMA. In 2026, HEMA will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Time for a big party!

South (1926 – 2026)

On November 4, 1926, the first branch of the Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, or HEMA, opened its doors on Kalverstraat. A second branch followed a few days later on Oude Hoogstraat. HEMA (the dots between the letters disappeared after the war) was the first department store for the 'common man'. Following the example of the successful Woolworth stores in America, De Bijenkorf executives Leo Meyer and Arthur Isaac decided to establish a similar type of department store in the Netherlands. After the first two branches in Amsterdam, things moved quickly, with stores following in Rotterdam, Nijmegen, Groningen, Tilburg, Den Bosch, and Haarlem.

The difference with other department stores was that HEMA only sold products at fixed prices: 10, 25, and 50 cents. Moreover, only one variant of each type of item was available. The underlying principle was: the best quality for the lowest price. The fixed prices were expanded in 1928 to include 75 cents and 1 guilder. It would take another 41 years before HEMA crossed the 100 guilder threshold. In 1969, an item was sold for the first time with a selling price of 100 guilders: a drill of the house brand 'Reactor'. Because the cash registers at that time were not yet set up for such high amounts, the cashier had to ring up the amount in two parts: fl 99.- and fl 1.-. HEMA had long since abandoned the concept of fixed prices by then, but the selling prices were still low.

The economic crisis, which began in 1929 with the stock market crash in New York, had no consequences for HEMA. In fact, sales increased. In the years leading up to the crisis, many people still had a strong sense of status. This manifested itself in the fact that they preferred not to be seen in stores selling cheap goods. However, that does not mean they stopped buying at HEMA altogether. At that time, HEMA was already offering home delivery. And while De Bijenkorf did this using delivery vans prominently displaying their store name, HEMA did so with anonymous vans without a logo. This way, people could still do their shopping at HEMA without their neighbors noticing. But many people were affected by the crisis, forcing them to set aside their sense of status. And soon, everyone was shopping at HEMA.

Then a dark period begins, in which history hits HEMA hard: the Second World War. Ever-increasing sales come to a halt the moment the Germans invade the Netherlands in May 1940. Three HEMA branches are completely destroyed by bombing: Rotterdam, Arnhem, and Nijmegen. The predominantly Jewish management manages to escape and flees abroad, but many employees are less fortunate. Half of the 24 stores by then have a Jewish branch manager. They are replaced in September 1940. They do remain on as advisors for a while, but that too comes to an end on January 1, 1941. Of the 12 Jewish branch managers, 7 perish in concentration camps; 4 are able to resume their old positions after the war. On February 27, 1941, an administrator is appointed for HEMA by the Germans. His task is to make the company 'Jew-free'.

On May 1, 1940, HEMA still employed 298 Jewish workers, approximately one-sixth of its total workforce. Among them were many buyers, saleswomen, and warehouse clerks. Replacements had to be appointed for them. The management of HEMA resisted the Germans as much as possible. This continued even when the Germans requested lists containing the names of all employees so that they could be sent to Germany to work in camps. The management kept delaying the submission of the lists until the occupiers demanded the entire workforce.

For the staff left behind, the abbreviation HEMA takes on a different meaning during those years: Help Elkaar Met Alles (Help Each Other With Everything). For example, staff members receive new chairs from withheld stock after a bombing raid, and where possible, management signs declarations of indispensability to spare staff compulsory work in Germany. Moreover, all employees receive a food parcel every month in the final year of the war. Meanwhile, it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain goods and inflation skyrockets. As a result, HEMA is ultimately forced to abandon the system of fixed prices.

Until 1952, all HEMA stores had full service: saleswomen stood behind the counter everywhere to assist customers. Following the example of Marks & Spencer, HEMA abandoned this and the stores switched to full self-service. The counters were replaced with new store furniture. In this way, HEMA transformed into the quintessential Dutch store we know today. Moreover, to expand the number of branches more rapidly, HEMA switched to the franchise model. In cities where HEMA wanted to open a branch, independent entrepreneurs were approached with the question of whether they wanted to switch to the HEMA formula. HEMA was truly a pioneer in the field of franchising. A number of other companies had already experimented with it at that time, but HEMA was the first company in the Netherlands to achieve success with this formula. Thanks to the franchise model, HEMA experienced enormous growth; from 42 branches in 1960 to 193 branches in 1985.

Since its founding in 1926, HEMA has grown into a store where almost all Dutch families are customers. It is not without reason that HEMA has been named the most indispensable brand in the Netherlands no fewer than eight times. Of course, HEMA has changed considerably over the years and has often had to adapt, but some things never change. For instance, even today, HEMA is hard at work making customers' daily lives more enjoyable and easier. The meaning HEMA adds to its customers' daily lives is reflected in the everyday HEMA items found in (almost) every household. The customer remains central. That is truly HEMA.

 

Well-known products

Smoked sausage

The sale of half hot smoked sausages began in 1936 at the Nieuwendijk branch in Amsterdam. Until then, the sausages were only sold cold. The branch manager had accidentally ordered 10.000 sausages instead of 1000 and decided to heat them up and sell them as a snack to shoppers. Other branches adopted this initiative. During a strike at Unilever in October 2007, it emerged that the HEMA smoked sausage is made by Unilever in Oss, in the same factory where the Unox smoked sausage originates.

Smoked sausages were traditionally smoked over a fire, the traditional method. That method came under fire because smoke contains various substances that can cause cancer. Therefore, in the 70s, a different method was chosen to add the smoky flavor to the meat. To create smoke aroma, wood is burned. The resulting smoke is liquefied, a process known as condensation. After a purification process, this substance is used as smoke aroma.

Tom Thumb

Who doesn't love them? Those delicious, crispy tompouces with a glossy pink glaze and a creamy pastry filling. And occasionally, for an orange-themed occasion, they are also available with a layer of orange glaze. You can even have your own photo printed on a HEMA tompouce. We have been selling them since 1932, and as many as 14 million of these iconic pastries pass over our counter every year. But even though HEMA has had the best tompouce bakers for decades, we didn't invent the tompouce ourselves.

 

Jip & Janneke 

Fiep Westendorp (1916–2004) was a Dutch illustrator who became best known for the drawings of Jip and Janneke. In addition to Jip and Janneke, Westendorp also illustrated the women's page of Het Parool and the books of Annie M.G. Schmidt, Mies Bouhuys, and Han G. Hoekstra, among others. She also illustrated advertising campaigns and created murals. Her legacy is managed by the 'Fiep Westendorp Foundation'.

When you say Jip & Janneke, you also say HEMA. The duo has been associated with us since 1993, and they are an indispensable part of our store shelves. Why do Jip & Janneke fit us so well? Fiep Westendorp's illustrations put a smile on your face. That is what HEMA strives for as well.

What started small with bath foam and body lotion in colored bottles has since grown into a wide range of products featuring illustrations by the two characters. And in this, we always strive to be innovative. Our designers constantly come up with new designs, and thanks to Fiep's many drawings, we can continue to offer variety to this day. From nightwear and underwear to cutlery and umbrellas. And from wooden toys to duvet covers and toiletry bags. Of course, it helps that the stories of Jip & Janneke are wildly popular. Who didn't grow up with the adventures of the two? They are known to young and old. Jip & Janneke are timeless and quintessentially Dutch, just like HEMA.

 

Thanks to Peter Janssen of www.frankeerstempel.nl for the stamps in this blog.

Source: HEMA (history).

 

<strong> More info: </strong>

History of HEMA: https://www.hema.nl/geschiedenis/hema

About the smoked sausage: https://www.hema.nl/geschiedenis/rookworst

About the tompouce: https://www.hema.nl/geschiedenis/tompouce

About Jip & Janneke: https://www.hema.nl/geschiedenis/jip-en-janneke

About the HEMA logo: https://www.hema.nl/geschiedenis/logo

HEMA according to NOS (2016) with old logos:

https://nos.nl/artikel/2137818-hema-gaat-zeker-niet-het-ravijn-in-zoals-v-and-d

HEMA: https://www.hema.nl/

Blogs about smoked sausage (and history): https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/rookworst/

Blogs about tompouce: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/tompouce/

Blogs about Fiep Westendorp:

https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/fiep-westendorp/

Fiep Westendorp sites:

https://www.fiepwestendorp.nl/fiepamsterdam/

https://100jaarfiepwestendorp.nl/