Why Amsterdam attracts Spanish brands

The manageable size, life between canals and bikes and the balance between tradition and avant-garde make Amsterdam one of the most international capitals in the world, attracting talent and Spanish brands. Added to this is a solid economy and steady tourism.

Brands like Cold Culture, Nude Project, Alohas and TwoJeys have already entered the Dutch market and more and more Spanish brands are following. However, for a growing brand, taking on one of the potentially highest rents in its own branch network or opening its first physical space abroad is not an intuitive decision. This requires strategy, data and a realistic assessment of the market.

To understand what makes Amsterdam a solid choice, FashionUnited spoke to Michelle Paratore. She is a partner at the renowned management consultancy Bain & Company and specializes in retail and private equity. She has been advising both established market leaders and emerging brands in the region for more than twenty years.

Brand identity and the Dutch market

When a brand approaches Bain to explore the Dutch market, the starting point is always the same. It’s about “understanding what the brand is about, what its differentiation is – product, retail experience, meaning – and which segments it appeals to,” explains Paratore. Only on this basis can it be assessed whether the brand fits Dutch consumers and the competitive landscape or whether adjustments are necessary.

The first measure is the clarity of positioning. Paratore puts it very simply: Is the purpose of the brand clearly communicated? What ’emotional value’ does it offer its consumers? It is then checked whether the product, price and experience meet the expectations of Dutch consumers. The market responds well to authenticity and functionality, as well as sustainability messages that go beyond mere slogans. Finally, it analyzes how well the brand integrates its online and offline channels to ensure a seamless experience, as it is a highly digitalized country.

Consumers demand excellence and good value for money; competition is strong and digital requirements exceed those of other markets – Michelle P., partner at management consultancy Bain & Company, specializing in the region.

One of the first expectations adjustments Bain makes to many companies relates to market perception, which is often underestimated. “Many assume that the Dutch market is a good testing ground because it is small, international, digitally advanced and well connected. But in reality it is very demanding,” warns Paratore. “Consumers expect excellence, including in terms of price-performance ratio. Competition is intense and digital requirements are higher than in other markets. What simply appears requires a lot of discipline.”

“Price is important, but consumers value purpose and credibility in addition to a competitive price. They want to know the story behind the product, who made it and how. They value design and creativity, but trust and quality remain the key purchase drivers and support the perception of ‘value for money’.”

Competing with giants

The Dutch market is heavily concentrated on established local players such as G-Star Raw, Scotch & Soda, Suitsupply, Filling Pieces and Olaf. There are also international chains with a solid presence. In this context, Paratore emphasizes that the task of consulting is not to catch up with these giants. Rather, it is about identifying your own defensible territory. “If the offer is truly distinctive, not being a Dutch brand is no longer a problem.”

Nude Project’s experience clearly shows how to compete on meaning. At the opening of the first permanent store in Amsterdam last April, we spoke to co-founder and creative director Bruno Casanovas. He emphasized that for them retail is not just a distribution channel, but a place where a universe that has emerged and grown online takes shape. “Today you can buy anything you want online from home. But when you take the trouble to go to a store, you’re looking for something more,” he explained. This ‘something more’ takes shape in the Dutch capital: a versatile and inviting space that changes throughout the day. It aims to bring the lifestyle and sense of community that the brand has built in Spain to a new market.

This strategy was reinforced by actions that linked to local culture. These included a limited-edition T-shirt inspired by the city. The store also became the stage for a series of parties during the Amsterdam Dance Event, one of the largest international festivals for electronic music and club culture. This strengthened its positioning as a meeting place.

From Testing to Anchoring: The Importance of Building a Prior Relationship with the Market

Another recommendation from Paratore is that brands should clearly define what role Amsterdam plays in their strategy before opening a store. They should also determine the most appropriate format to test their hypotheses.

Laagam is a good example of this approach. The company has been building a presence on the Dutch market for years. It is firmly established in De Bijenkorf department store, visible in multi-brand stores and recently hosted a private pop-up to strengthen business relationships. Each step worked as one Test and learn-Process in the sense of Bain. Market acceptance is measured, behavior is observed and positioning is adjusted.

The audience’s reaction was positive. This has led Laagam to prepare to open its first international store in this city.

In Alohas’ case, the starting point was less wholesale and more digital data. “It is one of the countries where we already had a significant online sales volume,” explained brand founder Alejandro Porras in an interview with FashionUnited. This information, when viewed through Bain’s proposed lens, is not just an encouraging number. It is also a sign that the product, price and offering resonate with the discerning consumers Paratore speaks of and can strengthen growth in Northern Europe.

From micro to macro: Amsterdam as a laboratory for emerging brands

The management consultancy emphasizes that despite the challenges, Amsterdam functions as “a microcosm: small, cosmopolitan and progressive”. This combination makes the city an optimal environment to test concepts, understand consumption dynamics and refine operational processes.

In this context, Cayetan Studios, a Spanish fashion pop-up project based in the city, was born. It offers emerging and digital brands a physical entry into the Dutch market without having to bear the costs of a permanent store. Founder Alberto Peris saw a clear opportunity: numerous online brands with potential in the Netherlands had no place to validate their offer, understand local consumers and convert latent digital demand into additional sales.

Each pop-up brings together between seven and 20 brands with around ten items per company. This creates a compact and curated range that is primarily aimed at male consumers, although many products are unisex. This target group is looking for everyday clothing with higher standards of quality, design and durability than those of Fast fashion be offered.

Both the standards and motivations of the participating brands fully fit Bain’s diagnosis. Some want to tap into the Amsterdam and Northern European market, others want to physically engage with an audience that already buys from them online. However, the greatest value lies in the information they receive after the fact: which products work, what objections customers express, which styles generate the most interaction or what overall impression the brand leaves.

Essentially, this is the same strategic learning process that Bain applies to large projects. Here, however, it is concentrated in a few square meters and is associated with significantly lower costs.

So far, Peris has organized four pop-ups – two for a month and one for two weeks – as well as a new edition currently running at Prinsengracht 234. His goal is to scale to six promotions by 2026 and eventually design a more ambitious project: a permanent concept store, a multidisciplinary space, or perhaps a mix of both. At the same time, the entrepreneur applies the same logic of continuous iteration to his own project, refining the offer with each action.

In summary, the Dutch market is small but demanding. It is demanding but permeable; costly but full of possibilities; symbolic but operational; digital, but deeply human. The brands that understand this best have managed to open a flagship store, become the locals’ trusted eyewear brand or showcase their clothes on bikes along the canals.