Van der Velde In De Broeren

What Van der Velde In De Broeren does

Van der Velde In De Broeren B.V. is a privately held Dutch bookstore chain founded in 1892 and headquartered in Zwolle, Netherlands. The company operates 11 physical retail locations across the country, concentrated in the northern provinces (Assen, Dokkum, Drachten, Groningen with two locations, Harlingen, Leeuwarden, Sneek) plus Zutphen and the Zwolle flagship, which also houses the Brasserie In de Broeren café. Van der Velde sells a broad assortment of new physical books across genres including literature, thrillers, children's books, cookbooks, history, travel, biographies, and graphic novels, complemented by a specialized second-hand book section, ebooks via a Tolino partnership, audiobooks under the Fluister brand, Tolino e-reader devices, and gift cards. Distribution is multi-channel, combining the physical storefronts with a full e-commerce website that supports online reservation, in-store pickup, and free home delivery within the Netherlands for orders exceeding €20.

The business model is B2C retail across five primary revenue streams: new book sales, second-hand book sales, e-book sales, audiobook sales, and gift cards, all priced on a unit-pricing basis. Customer engagement is supported through a content-marketing program that includes the VOL van Boeken magazine and podcast, BookTok curation, an email newsletter, and in-store events such as author signings and lectures. The company is affiliated with Libris.nl, a major Dutch book distribution and retail network that supports collaborative marketing and participation in literary prizes such as the Libris Literatuur Prijs and Libris Geschiedenis Prijs, and holds Thuiswinkel Waarborg e-commerce trust certification. No financial data, headcount, ownership structure, or inorganic activity is disclosed in the available source material.

Name

Van der Velde In De Broeren

Legal name

Van der Velde Boeken

Website

https://waandersindebroeren.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Van der Velde In De Broeren is a Dutch bookstore chain founded in 1892, operating 11 physical locations across the Netherlands with a full e-commerce platform, selling new and second-hand books, ebooks, audiobooks, e-readers, and gift cards to general Dutch consumers, complemented by the integrated Brasserie In de Broeren café in Zwolle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Bookstore

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921)

akta.pro primary industry

Used, Rare & Antiquarian Bookstores (CRALAAAB)

Keywords

• Retail bookstore chain
• Physical book retail
• Second-hand books
• E-book distribution
• Audiobook services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zwolle

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. New Book Sales: Retail sales of new physical books across all categories including literature, children's books, cooking, history, thrillers, and more.
2. Second-hand Book Sales: Specialized section for pre-owned books with a wide assortment, operating as a separate revenue stream with used book inventory.
3. E-book Sales: Digital book sales through Tolino platform, including e-books with various price points and weekly ebook deals.
4. Audiobook Sales: Audiobook sales under the Fluister brand, providing audio versions of books for listening.
5. Gift Cards: Cadeaukaart (gift cards) sold for gifting purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Van der Velde In De Broeren is a Dutch bookstore chain that sells new physical books, second-hand books, ebooks, audiobooks (under the Fluister brand), and Tolino e-reader devices across 11 physical retail locations and an e-commerce website. The company also operates Brasserie In de Broeren (a café inside the Zwolle store), publishes VOL van Boeken magazine and podcast, and offers online ordering with in-store pickup and free domestic delivery on orders exceeding €20.

Product overview

Van der Velde In De Broeren is a Dutch bookstore chain operating multiple physical retail locations across the Netherlands (Assen, Dokkum, Drachten, Groningen, Harlingen, Leeuwarden, Sneek, Zutphen, and Zwolle). The company offers a comprehensive book retail platform consisting of physical new and second-hand books across diverse categories (literature, thrillers, children's books, cookbooks, history, and more), digital products including ebooks and audiobooks, and Tolino e-reader devices. Additional services include online ordering with in-store pickup, home delivery within the Netherlands, gift cards, and a café (Brasserie In de Broeren). The company also publishes VOL van Boeken magazine and offers specialty puzzle books. The business operates as a multi-channel retailer combining physical storefronts with e-commerce capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Books (Boeken) New physical books across multiple genres including literature, fiction, thrillers, children's books, cookbooks, history, travel, biographies, fantasy, science fiction, self-help, psychology, health, and reference materials, sold to individual readers across the Netherlands.
• Second-hand Books (Tweedehands) Pre-owned books available for purchase, providing an affordable and sustainable book-buying option for Dutch consumers.
• Ebooks Digital versions of books available for download and reading on electronic devices, sold via the Tolino platform with variable pricing starting from €4.99.
• Tolino E-readers E-reader devices and accessories for digital reading, sold in partnership with Tolino to enable customers to consume ebooks.
• Audiobooks (Luisterboeken / Fluister) Audio books available for listening, covering various genres and popular titles, offered under the Fluister brand.
• Online Reservation and Home Delivery Online reservation system allowing customers to reserve books online and pick up in-store, with free delivery within the Netherlands for orders over €20.
• Gift Cards (Cadeaukaart) Gift cards available for purchase, ideal for book lovers as presents.
• Brasserie In de Broeren A café located within the Zwolle In de Broeren store, offering food and beverages to customers visiting the bookstore.
• VOL van Boeken Magazine A magazine published by the company featuring book recommendations, reviews, and literary content for Dutch readers.
• Murder Mystery Puzzles (Moordmysteriepuzzels) Murder mystery puzzle books combining reading and puzzle-solving experiences for book-loving puzzle enthusiasts.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Libris.nlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVan der Velde is affiliated with Libris.nl, a major Dutch book distribution and retail network. This partnership provides access to a broader network of Dutch bookstores and collaborative marketing opportunities, including participation in literary prizes such as the Libris Literatuur Prijs and Libris Geschiedenis Prijs.
• Thuiswinkel WaarborgcoreOthersVan der Velde Boeken is certified with the Thuiswinkel Waarborg, a Dutch quality mark for trustworthy online shopping. This certification provides consumer confidence in the company's e-commerce operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble is the largest US bookstore chain with physical stores and online sales. It is a broader incumbent comparable on multi-channel bookstore retail, café integration, and events-driven community engagement.
• bol.com: bol.com is the dominant Dutch e-commerce marketplace, selling books alongside a wide general merchandise catalog. It is the largest non-store competitor to Dutch bookstores and competes with Van der Velde on price, selection, and delivery in the book category.
• Amazon: Amazon operates the dominant global online book retail channel including Amazon.nl in the Netherlands. It is a broader incumbent competitor setting the price/selection benchmark that Van der Velde's online channel must compete against.

Direct peers

• De Vries Van Stockum: De Vries Van Stockum is a long-established Dutch bookstore chain with multiple locations and a strong online ordering platform. It is comparable to Van der Velde as a multi-store Dutch independent-style bookstore chain serving similar consumers.
• American Book Center (ABC): ABC is a Dutch English-language and general bookstore chain with several physical locations and online ordering. It competes with Van der Velde in physical Dutch book retail and targets a similar reader/literary customer segment, particularly in larger cities.
• Bruna: Bruna operates a broad Dutch retail network of bookstores and newsagents selling books, magazines, gifts, and stationery. It is a direct competitor to Van der Velde in physical Dutch book retail with overlapping category breadth and target demographics.
• Boekhandel Dominicanen: Dominicanen is a Dutch bookstore located in a former Dominican church in Maastricht, famous for its experiential retail concept. It shares Van der Velde's emphasis on bookstore-as-destination and signature in-store experience, including an integrated café.
• Libris.nl: Libris is the Dutch bookstore network/brand of which Van der Velde is an affiliate member, and it operates its own online channel selling books across affiliated independent bookstores. The shared Libris Literatuur Prijs and Libris Geschiedenis Prijs promotions make it a tightly connected peer rather than purely a partner.
• AKO Boeken: AKO is the largest Dutch bookstore chain with roughly 50+ locations selling new books, gifts, and stationery, plus online ordering. It is the closest direct competitor to Van der Velde on multi-channel Dutch book retail, sharing the same core customer base and product mix.

Regional players

• Waterstones: Waterstones is the leading UK bookstore chain operating physical stores and online sales of new books. It is a regional/international comparable on multi-channel bookstore retailing with similar emphasis on events, cafés, and curated assortments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/librisnieuws
• Facebookfacebook.com/vanderveldeindebroeren
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waanders-in-de-broeren

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 Van der Velde In De Broeren