The story behind Bij Keesje
Our story
From a clothing rack in the living room to having your own shop, office, and warehouse under one roof. This is the story of how Bij Keesje came to be.
2018
The beginning
Bij Keesje started in 2018 with founder Anne-Claire. She noticed that there were few options in the young Christian market and thought it was time to add something fresh and new.
For the name, she wanted something that would stick, preferably with a link to herself. Her father's name is Kees and her given name is Cornelia — together that became 'Bij Keesje', a cozy, truly Dutch name.
2018 – 2019
From living room to first store
Together with her mother, Anne-Claire went on a sourcing trip and they built a website. The first items were sold from home. Soon customers wanted to be able to try on the clothes, and that was no longer possible at home.
In 2019 the first Bij Keesje store opened: small, with two fitting rooms, but large enough to showcase the collection. When this space also soon became too small, the premises could be extended to almost three times the size, with three fitting rooms and its own office.
December 2021
A home of your own
Growth continued. Queues formed outside the door, and customers came from further and further away in search of a decent fitting room. Across the street, another building could be taken over and renovated from top to bottom—with a shop, office, and warehouse all under one roof.
The new store opened on December 18, 2021. The first customers were welcomed with pride, but due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the doors had to close again after just one day. For a while, visitors could only come by appointment.
Nowadays
At Keesje now
Those restrictive measures are now a thing of the past, and everyone is once again warmly welcome, as it should be. Since then, the store has grown, with more clothing racks and a wider selection.
Bij Keesje is still moving forward today: the parking lot is being expanded to improve traffic flow, and the very first store location is being transformed into a completely renovated photo studio. In addition, we now have our own label: Bij Keesje The Label.
Take a look at Bij Keesje
Drop by sometime
Curious? Visit our store or take a look at our latest collection.