Ochtend Flits

Action is a Dutch discount retailer founded in Enkhuizen in 1993. It now has over 2,500 stores across Europe — but it started here, and in the Netherlands it is genuinely woven into daily life. There is almost certainly one within a short walk or bike ride of where you live.

What it sells

The range is deliberately unpredictable — Action's model is fast-moving, opportunistic stock. Broadly you will find:

• Household basics — cleaning products, storage, kitchenware
• DIY supplies — paint rollers, tape, sandpaper, basic tools, fixings, LED bulbs
• Decoration — cushions, picture frames, candles, seasonal items
• Stationery and office supplies
• Health and beauty — basics, often branded products at low prices
• Children's toys and school supplies
• Garden and outdoor — especially in spring and summer
• Food and snacks — a small selection

The specific products change constantly. Part of the Action experience is not knowing what you'll find.

The culture

Going to Action and discovering something unexpectedly useful or cheap — a good set of storage containers, a well-priced item you needed anyway — is a minor Dutch pastime. Prices are genuinely low, not performatively low: a cleaning product that costs €4 at Albert Heijn often costs €1.50 at Action.

Dutch thriftiness and Action are a good fit. See Doe Maar Gewoon.

For klussen

Action sells some DIY supplies worth buying and some not worth the risk. See Klussen for a breakdown of what to pick up there versus what to buy at Gamma or Hornbach.