What Boekhandel Scheltema does

Boekhandel Scheltema is a historic Dutch bookstore founded on June 6, 1853 by Jacobus Hendrik Scheltema, operating from its flagship location at Rokin 9 in Amsterdam. The five-floor flagship carries more than 125,000 book titles and is positioned as a 'vorstelijk boekenwarenhuis' (royal book department store), with an additional physical location in Haarlem. The company is part of the broader Athenaeum | Scheltema bookstore group, which spans seven branded locations (Athenaeum Spui, Haarlem, Zuidoost, Het Martyrium, Van Rossum, Pied à Terre, Scheltema) and is affiliated with the Libris.nl network providing access to 8 million+ titles.

The business operates a hybrid physical-and-online model. Core products include physical books across literature, non-fiction, children's, study materials, travel (Pied à Terre), cooking, art, history, and philosophy; digital products such as e-books and e-readers; magazines and periodicals; gift cards (Cadeaukaarten); and discounted books (Ramsj). E-commerce is delivered through the athenaeumscheltema.nl webstore with nationwide delivery, and the Boekenbijlage literary content platform drives top-of-funnel engagement through reviews, reading excerpts, interviews, and bestseller lists (Parool Top 10, NRC Top 10, De Bestseller 60). Pricing is unit-based (paperback typically €15-25, hardcover €25-50), with gift cards at variable stored-value amounts. Customer segments are horizontal and direct-to-consumer: general readers, students at Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) and Amsterdam Applied Sciences, and specialized readers seeking travel, cookbook, or art titles. Marketing relies on email newsletter, LinkedIn and Bluesky social channels, blog content, author events and signings, and the Libris.nl referral network. The store holds Thuiswinkel Waarborg e-commerce certification.

Revenue mechanics are one-time retail transactions across both physical and online channels, with no subscription, SaaS, or recurring-contract layer. No revenue, funding, ownership, or management-team disclosures are present in the source data; the firm operates as a private, independent Dutch retailer without disclosed parent company, investor base, or acquisition history.

Name

Boekhandel Scheltema

Legal name

Boekhandel Scheltema

Website

https://scheltema.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Boekhandel Scheltema is a historic Amsterdam-based Dutch bookstore (founded 1853) operating a five-floor flagship with 125,000+ titles, plus Haarlem store and nationwide e-commerce, serving general readers, HvA students, and specialty book buyers as part of the Athenaeum | Scheltema group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bookstore Retail

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)

SIC

Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

General Bookstores (New Books) (CRALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s Books & Educational Readers Retail (CRALAAAD)

Keywords

• Bookstore retail
• Online book sales
• Academic textbooks
• E-books and e-readers
• Literary gift cards

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Book Sales: One-time purchase of physical books and media products sold through retail stores in Amsterdam and Haarlem
2. E-commerce Online Sales: Online sales of books, e-books, e-readers, magazines, and gift cards through the company's webstore
3. Gift Cards / Cadeaukaarten: Sale of gift cards as stored value products for future purchases

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Boekhandel Scheltema is a Dutch bookstore retailer selling physical books, e-books, e-readers, magazines, study books, travel books, and gift cards through a five-floor flagship store in Amsterdam, a Haarlem location, and a nationwide e-commerce storefront. The offering is complemented by a literary blog (Boekenbijlage), author events and signings, and access to an extended 8 million+ title catalog via the Libris.nl network.

Product overview

Boekhandel Scheltema operates as a multi-channel bookstore with a unified product portfolio. The core offering is the online webwinkel (e-commerce platform) providing access to 8 million+ books, magazines, and related products. Supporting the web platform are specialized product categories including E-books & E-readers for digital content, Studieboeken for academic texts, and Pied à Terre for travel books. Additional offerings include Magazines, Cadeaukaarten (gift cards), Ramsj (discounted books), and the Boekenbijlage literary blog featuring reviews, interviews, and curated bestseller lists. The company also operates physical stores in Amsterdam (Rokin 9) and Haarlem. Scheltema is affiliated with the Libris.nl bookstore network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scheltema Flagship Bookstore (Amsterdam) Physical retail bookstore in Amsterdam offering more than 125,000 book titles across five floors, serving general readers, students, and gift buyers with categories spanning fiction, non-fiction, study books, travel, cooking, art, history, philosophy, and children's literature. Open daily 10:00-19:00.
• Athenaeum Haarlem Bookstore Secondary physical retail bookstore in Haarlem operating as part of the Athenaeum | Scheltema group, providing local access to the group's book assortment for consumers in the Haarlem market.
• Athenaeum | Scheltema Online Webwinkel Primary e-commerce platform providing access to 8 million+ books, magazines, and related products with online purchasing, customer accounts, and delivery across the Netherlands.
• E-books & E-readers Digital book titles and dedicated e-reader hardware devices sold through the online platform for consumers preferring digital reading formats.
• Studieboeken (Textbooks) Academic and course-specific study books for Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) Hogeschool and Applied Sciences programs, supported by dedicated FAQ pages to help students find the correct editions.
• Pied à Terre Travel Books Specialized travel book section and sub-brand offering travel guides, maps, and travel literature for consumers interested in destination-focused reading.
• Magazines & Tijdschriften Magazines and periodicals sold through both physical stores and the online webstore, complementing the core book assortment.
• Cadeaukaarten (Gift Cards) Digital and physical gift cards sold in variable denominations for customers seeking a stored-value gifting option usable at the bookstore.
• Ramsj (Discounted Books) Discounted and clearance book assortment offered at reduced prices through both in-store and online channels for price-sensitive readers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Libris.nlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAthenaeum | Scheltema is affiliated with the Libris.nl bookstore network. This partnership provides access to an extended catalog of 8 million+ books and magazines, and enhances online discoverability through the Libris platform. The logo appears on the website indicating formal membership in this retail network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bol.com: Dominant Dutch online generalist retailer with the largest book and e-book catalog in the Netherlands; competes head-on with Scheltema's e-commerce channel and sets pricing benchmarks.
• Amazon: Global e-commerce incumbent with a growing Dutch presence (amazon.nl); competes with Scheltema across physical-style depth, selection, and delivery experience.

Direct peers

• Waterstones: UK specialty bookstore chain with large flagship stores and an events-led content strategy — closely mirrors Scheltema's combination of large physical retail and literary programming.
• Selexyz: Dutch specialty bookstore chain (Polare group) operating multiple locations including flagship stores — comparable in-store experience and curated book retail positioning.
• De Slegte: Dutch chain specializing in remaindered and secondhand books; comparable to Scheltema's 'Ramsj' (discounted books) line and similar Dutch-language book retail audience.
• Barnes & Noble: Largest US bookstore chain with multi-floor flagship locations, e-books, and events; the US analog of Scheltema's flagship-plus-online-plus-events model.
• Bruna: Dutch chain of bookstore and newsstand locations selling books, magazines, stationery and gifts — overlaps with Scheltema on physical book retail, magazine sales, and gift cards.
• AKO: Largest Dutch bookstore chain with dozens of physical stores and an online shop selling books, magazines, and stationery — directly comparable multi-location retail model and target customer.

Others

• Libris: Dutch cooperative bookstore network that Scheltema is affiliated with; ecosystem partner that distributes and surfaces titles from affiliated independent bookstores across the Netherlands.

Emerging players

• Daunt Books: UK independent specialty bookseller famous for its Marylebone flagship and curated travel section — directly comparable to Scheltema's flagship experience and Pied à Terre travel sub-brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boekhandel-scheltema

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Boekhandel Scheltema