Paagman

What Paagman does

Paagman B.V. is a Dutch family-owned bookstore and office supplies retailer founded on November 1, 1951 by Gerard Paagman sr. in The Hague (Den Haag), currently in its third generation of family leadership under Nadine and Fabian Paagman. The company operates five physical retail locations across the Randstad region — Frederik Hendriklaan (Fred) and Lange Poten (Centrum) in Den Haag, Delft, Leidschendam (Westfield Mall of the Netherlands), and Gouda — and runs the paagman.nl e-commerce platform with same-day delivery (VANDAAG IN HUIS), next-day delivery, and buy-online-pick-up-in-store capabilities.

The product mix spans physical books across Dutch and English languages, an e-book platform supporting EPUB, EPUB-3, and PDF with both digital watermarking and Adobe DRM (over 50,000 Dutch-language e-books), audiobooks, music on CD and vinyl, second-hand and antiquarian books (resold via the Boekwinkeltjes.nl marketplace), office supplies, gift items, and a gift card program (Paagman CadeauCard). Branded sub-units include Villa Paagman (an experiential children's bookstore opened in 2011), Kicking Horse Café (a Canadian-themed in-store café at the Fred location), and the English Bookshop. The technology stack is conventional retail: e-commerce platform, MultiSafePay payment processing, Eventbrite ticketing for author events, and Boekwinkeltjes.nl integration for second-hand inventory.

Paagman serves three primary customer segments: individual consumers (the core retail book and gift buyer), schools and educational institutions (bulk curriculum procurement, Schoolfest events, reading clubs), and business customers (office supplies with invoicing terms). The Paagman Privilege multi-tier loyalty program (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Pink) drives repeat purchase frequency and community engagement through author events and reading clubs. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales across the channels described, with secondary streams from the in-store café and gift card float. No external investors, parent company, or funding rounds are disclosed.

Name

Paagman

Legal name

Paagman B.V.

Website

https://paagman.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Paagman is a third-generation Dutch family-owned bookstore and office supplies retailer, founded in 1951 in The Hague. It operates five physical stores across the Randstad and a national e-commerce platform serving consumers, schools, and business customers with books, e-books, gifts, and office products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Bookstore and Office Supplies

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594)

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)

akta.pro primary industry

Office, School & Business Supplies Online Retailers (CRAFADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Office, Stationery & Craft Supplies DTC (CRAFACAL)

Keywords

• Bookstore retail
• Office supplies
• Ebook sales
• School book sales
• Gift merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Den Haag

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Book Sales: Physical and online sales of new books across multiple genres including literature, thrillers, children's books, travel, cooking, art, and more. Also sells English-language books and e-books.
2. Office & Gift Supplies: Sales of office supplies, stationery, gifts, and lifestyle products. Includes cartridges, toners, paper, pens, and branded merchandise.
3. Second-hand Book Sales: Purchase and resale of second-hand and antiquarian books. Books are purchased from customers at Paagman Centrum location and sold through Boekwinkeltjes.nl.
4. Gift Cards (Paagman CadeauCard): Sale of gift cards with minimum load of €5, usable across all Paagman stores and online. Balance can be spent in installments with no expiration.
5. E-book Sales: Digital book sales in multiple formats (EPUB, PDF) with watermarking or Adobe DRM protection. Download links typically available for approximately two years for Dutch e-books.
6. Horeca (Kicking Horse Café): Café operations offering coffee, food, and beverages. Located within the Fred (Frederik Hendriklaan) store location.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Paagman is a Dutch family-owned bookstore and office supplies retailer that sells new, second-hand, and e-books across multiple genres and languages, complemented by music (CDs, vinyl), office supplies, gift items, and gift cards. The company operates five physical retail stores in the Netherlands (Den Haag, Delft, Leidschendam, Gouda) and an integrated e-commerce platform with same-day delivery. Sub-brands include Villa Paagman (children's experiential bookstore), the English Bookshop, and Kicking Horse Café.

Product overview

Paagman is a Dutch bookstore and office supplies retailer with a platform-plus-physical-stores model. The core offering centers on books (new, second-hand, ebooks, and audiobooks), supplemented by music (CDs/vinyl), office supplies, and gift items. Key branded sub-units include Villa Paagman (specialized children's bookstore), the English Bookshop, and Kicking Horse Café (on-site café). Services include a gift card program (Paagman CadeauCard), a loyalty program (Paagman Privilege), signed book ordering, and reading clubs. The company operates five physical stores in the Netherlands (Fred and Centrum in Den Haag, Delft, Mall of the Netherlands in Leidschendam, and Gouda) plus a comprehensive e-commerce website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Villa Paagman: The funniest, coolest, largest and most experiential children's bookstore in the Netherlands, located within the Paagman Fred store in The Hague.
• Kicking Horse Café
• English Bookshop

Products and services

• Books Extensive range of Dutch and English books including literature, thrillers, children's books, travel guides, cookbooks, art books, sports and hobby books, health and psychology, history and politics, and gift books. Available in physical stores and online.
• Ebooks Digital books available in EPUB, EPUB-3, PDF formats with optional watermark or Adobe DRM protection. Over 50,000 Dutch-language ebooks available. Compatible with Paagman Tolino ereaders and other devices via apps.
• Audiobooks
• Music (CDs, DVDs and Vinyl)
• Villa Paagman Children's Bookstore Dedicated experiential children's bookstore featuring books for babies through young adults, plus toys, plush animals, puzzles and games, educational materials, and reading aids. Organized by age bands (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12+, Young Adults).
• Office Supplies
• Gift Items
• Paagman CadeauCard
• Second-hand Books
• Kicking Horse Café
• Paagman Privilege Loyalty Program
• English Bookshop
• Reading Clubs
• Signed Books Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day delivery available for orders placed before 12:00
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• ByewasteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircular economy partnership for second-hand book collection. Byewaste collects books directly from households in multiple Dutch cities, supporting Paagman's sustainability goals and providing an alternative to direct in-store book buyback.
• EventbriteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent ticketing and reservation platform used for author events, signings, and guaranteed seating reservations for Paagman Privilege members.
• Kicking Horse CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian Rocky Mountain coffee brand sourced for the Kicking Horse Café. Brand licensing/thematic partnership bringing authentic Canadian coffee culture to Netherlands.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bruna: Bruna is the largest physical bookstore chain in the Netherlands with both retail and e-commerce operations selling books, stationery, gifts, and office supplies. Like Paagman, it operates physical stores and has a Privilege-style loyalty programme (Bruna Club), making it the closest direct national competitor for Paagman's product mix and customer base.
• AKO: AKO is a large Dutch bookstore and stationery chain with stores across the Netherlands, including transit hubs, and a strong B2B school and office supplies business. Comparable to Paagman's combination of books, office supplies, school services, and in-store convenience, and a direct competitor in the Dutch B2B/B2C book + stationery market.
• Libris: Libris is a Dutch marketing and services cooperative for independent bookstores, providing shared logistics, e-commerce infrastructure, and brand visibility. Paagman is not a Libris member, but Libris represents the cooperative model and the broader network of independent Dutch bookstores that Paagman competes against and could plausibly join.
• Selexyz: Selexyz is a Dutch bookstore group operating multiple premium stores in city centers, including flagship locations in Amsterdam, The Hague, and other cities. Paagman acquired what was a former Selexyz/Polare/Verwijs location in The Hague, making Selexyz both a historical reference point and an ongoing competitor for high-street bookstore real estate.
• Scheltema: Scheltema is a large independent bookstore in Amsterdam combining physical retail with a strong e-commerce platform. Similar to Paagman, it balances new books, English-language titles, stationery, and gifts while serving a major-city Dutch market with a premium, curated assortment.
• Donner Boeken: Donner is a long-standing independent bookstore in Rotterdam with a comparable mix of books, gifts, and lifestyle products plus a strong local brand. Like Paagman, it is a multi-generational family-led independent with city-centre stores, e-commerce, and an experiential retail proposition, making it a strong regional peer.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon: Amazon operates Amazon.nl and competes directly with Paagman on books, e-books, office supplies, and shipping convenience. As a broad incumbent with global scale, Amazon is the structural benchmark for online book retail and the largest long-term threat to Paagman's e-commerce share.
• bol.com: bol.com is the dominant Dutch e-commerce marketplace selling books, e-books, office supplies, and toys with broad logistics reach. While broader than Paagman, it is the primary digital competitor for Dutch book and office supply spend, shaping pricing and consumer expectations across the categories Paagman sells.

Regional players

• Waterstones: Waterstones is a UK-based premium bookstore chain with a comparable mix of new books, gifts, stationery, and a Waterstones Card loyalty programme. It is informative as a regional peer with similar experiential retail formats but it does not currently operate in the Netherlands, reflecting different geographic markets.

Emerging players

• Boekwinkeltjes.nl: Boekwinkeltjes.nl is the largest Dutch online marketplace for second-hand books, through which Paagman already lists its antiquarian inventory. It is a partial competitor in the second-hand segment and a channel partner, making it a hybrid peer that overlaps with Paagman's used book offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/paagman
• Facebookfacebook.com/paagman
• Instagraminstagram.com/paagman
• Pinterestpinterest.com/paagman
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paagman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paagman