A Paris Shopping Guide: How to Spend Your Entire Shopping Budget in Paris in 48 Hours
4 magnets, 3 Hermès bags, 2 mustards, and 1 croissant Jellycat
I hate shopping in person: the crowds, the changing rooms, the limited inventory. Except on vacation. When none of these factors matter anymore and my whole day can be dedicated to seeing, trying and discovering in person.
And of course, one of the top shopping cities out there is Paris. With the globalization of fashion, it is rare to truly have unique shops in many cities. London used to only have Me + Em, now NYC does too. Zara is the same everywhere (besides pricing). I remember back in the day when Mango just came to the States and it felt like this undiscovered new source; now every brand is everywhere, which is great for them, but the feeling of discovery is harder to come by for us.
But in Paris, whether as reality or simply rosé tinted glasses, it still felt like there were unique stores to discover (as an American).
And of course on top of that, VAT back! It is significantly cheaper to buy many goods in Europe, with Paris having some of the strongest selections (though Spain has a slightly better VAT back rate). Shopping in Europe can save hundreds, or even thousands, depending on the purchase.
I had two days in Paris after a work trip in which to soak up all the IRL inspiration, and do all the damage. I was with my work bestie, who is equally prodigiously talented at shopping. It’s a dangerous combo.
If you, too, have Euros burning a hole in your pockets, follow the Paris shopping guide below.
Food/Home/Stationery
La Grand Épicerie - I love buying food items on vacation. I didn’t realize this might be odd until I was showing off my Grand Épicerie haul to a co-worker who said they’d literally never thought about buying food abroad before. Mustards, honeys, jellies, sauces, candies- I love bringing home items with actual utility for daily life. La Grand Épicerie was a mecca; I could have spent hours here and bought 10x more if my suitcase had allowed. With my limited space the focus was on chocolates and mustards, as one does. Plus their selection of tote bags is fantastic. I bought a baby tote and plan on using it all summer long.
Merci - what doesn’t Merci carry? A multi-story concept store covering everything from home goods to beauty to men’s clothes to women’s shoes to kid’s gifts. Make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to explore the multiple floors. We did a lot of damage here, with one of my best buys of the trip - this men’s jacket in such a cool color combo. I also scooped a little tech pouch (which had been on my list) as well as a very fun lighter magnet.
Fleux - a home goods store recommended by our Hermes SA who has lived in Paris her whole life. A treasure trove of home goods.
Mélodies Graphiques- the Parisien version of the UK’s famed Choosing Keeping.
Empreintes- another beautiful home concept store. (Paris loves a concept store ‘eh. Is this just the bougie version of Homegoods?)
Tourist Items - Don’t dare shame me for wanting a magnet from every place I visit. I have strict qualities I’m looking for in my magnets (see Merci lighter magnet above), but sometimes you just want the tourist row. Walk along the Seine, buy a vintage poster, luxuriate in being like many a tourist that has come before and that will come after.
Clothes/Bags/Shoes
Luxury
Where to Go: Rue Royale + Rue Saint- Honoré have all of your luxury stores, with an insane concentration. There are 5 Chanel stores within 2 blocks. FIVE. If you are shopping later in the day you can also pop into either Bar Les Ambassadeurs or Hôtel Costes for a well deserved drink. Every single luxury brand in the world has a store in Paris so this list certainly isn’t exhausted, just the stores that I spent time in and some recs on how to approach them.
Chanel- if you’re ever going to buy Chanel, you probably should buy it in Paris. It’s not a massive savings as they price correct for the market, but at least you’re getting VAT back. And the amount of stores and selection is unparalleled, there are over 14 Chanel stores by my Google Maps count. If you have your sights set on something specific, this is your best shot of getting it.
Loewe - my favorite luxury leather brand. I had my eyes on the new Featherlight Puzzle, but really didn’t want any classic colors like black or brown, which is all they had. It was not meant to be this time, but I will own this baby. Loewe- please come out with a funky green or blue!
Hermès - People lose their shit over Hermès and while I’m not a buyer, I sure am an observer of the cult. My work bestie is a member of said cult and managed to finagle not one, not two, but THREE bags whilst in Paris. All without an appointment. They weren’t quota bags obviously, but if you don’t have a leather appointment don’t fear. Just be incredibly charming, stylish and not after the basic shit, like a Kelly.
Alaïa - Alaïa wins for the chicest stores (not joking), and they are in very few cities so it was a priority to go in. I had my eyes on another pair of mesh ballerinas in a more winter-y tone and fabric, but also spotted this cool new bag shape of theirs that seems like such a practical city day bag.
Department Stores
Le Bon Marché - by far the better of the two big department stores. I think I could have literally spent 6 hours here. The shoe department was vast, ranging from luxury brands to every mid-tier brand possible. There was also a very strong men’s department on the lower level if you have a man you’re trying to entice to dress better. Tip: Officine Buly has a stall on the upper beauty floors, and is a far less insane shopping experience than their stand alone stores.
Galleries Lafayette - the Bloomingdales of Paris. To be clear, this is not a compliment. But Galleries Lafeyette does get some exclusive inventory across both designer and mid-tier brands, so if you have something specific you’re looking for, it is worth checking out. Otherwise I’d avoid it at all costs.
Printemps- didn’t prioritize going here (as there is now one in NYC) but I’d swing in here if I had more time (and certainly go here over Galleries Lafayette).
Brand Stores
Where to Go: Rue du Pont aux Choux, this street had Merci, APC, Jimmy Fairly, Officine Generale, a ton of Japanese vintage and a million other stores. My top picks below:
Jimmy Fairly- a chic, mid-priced, sunglasses brand that is pretty ubiquitous in Paris (and elsewhere in Europe) but hasn’t made inroads in the states yet. Apparently they are going to open an NYC store soon, but in the meantime get a cool new summer pair here.
Souer - a trending brand that seems to have gotten a lot of pickup in the past year, a more androgynous, French sibling to COS I’d call it.
Balzac- another quintessential French girl brand, a bit of Sezane, a bit of IRO, but cheaper and younger.
Officine Générale- beautiful, classic menswear with interesting touches. If you’re lucky enough to be here during the 2x per year sales periods, there are amazing deals to be found.
Luca Faloni- for when the man in your life needs new vacation clothes. The absolutely best linen shirts and pants, in interesting, but wearable colors.
Arket- a brand we truly don’t have at home! (unless you count the shitty selection on ASOS, which I don’t).
Lemaire- their bags are really where they stand out, but they have a strong contemporary range for both men + women also.
Sezane - not worth going out of your way for. I find Sezane’s store merchandising woefully unexciting. There is like nothing in the store! A few sweaters and their most basic products (which isn’t what gets me going about Sezane). If you insist on browsing Sezane while in Paris, just hit up their footprint at Le Bone Marché, it was as large as their stand alone stores.
IRO, Isabel Marant, ba&sh, Maje + Sandro - the quintessential French girl brands. Locations abound, and great deals are to be found on their home turf. I regret not picking up this ba&sh jacket from the Bon Marché when there, and now will be spending much more to own it in the fall because I must.
Zara - look, I know it is the same basically as the states but a) it’s not completely, they do have different inventory and b) the prices can be much better (if you’ve ever been to a Spanish Zara location you know it is basically free)
Beauty
A French pharmacy haul is almost obligatory. There are some brands that we can easily access, such as Caudalie, but that you’ll just find for a way better price here. But there are just as many brands that we can’t easily access, like SVR, or only get a partial range from, such as Nuxe.
A few recommended pharmacy locations:
Pharmacie Rivoli→ this is where I intended to go as there were certain brands (Skinceuticals, Beauty of Josen) I wanted, but ran out of time
Haussmann Opera Pharmacy -> this is where I went
Citypharma→ all locations
La Bonne Brosse - these brushes are not just quality, they are objects of art for your vanity. I wish I’d bought one but had been a bit shopped out by this point. Always good to have something to go back for!
Department Store Beauty Halls - the beauty department of Le Bon Marché in particular was WOW. Well lit, well maintained, well curated. I was in search of a new perfume, which is one of my favorite things to buy in Europe (some brands like Creed are basically half the price). I ended up with a brand I haven’t tried before, Ex Nihilo, and couldn’t resist this completely not summer friendly, but intoxicating scent. Reading the website description makes me even more sure in my choice “Cedarwood, twisted with Pink Pepper, recalls the scent of the most precious woods as much as the greatest vintage guitars”
Vintage
Paris is notorious for its vintage shopping and there are far more qualified people than I to tell you where to go. I found this post incredibly helpful:
We checked out the run of vintage shops in the Marias, starting with Louise Paris and Thank God I’m A VIP. Both were well curated and organized experiences, and even with that I realized I am not a natural born vintage shopper. I was tapped out after 10 minutes. I live for the TRR, but if you live for an in person deep dive, head to the Marias and live. Tip: this run of vintage shops in the Marais are very close to both a Mamiche and Du Pain et des Idées, two top tier bakeries for a sweet treat in between the shopping.
Shopping in Europe is one of the many joys of a European summer getaway. I’m jealous of anybody heading to Paris in the coming months- report back any shops I missed for when I’m there next!
xx AV
So so good! This makes me want a French pharmacy run… and Yves Saint Croissant is honored.
Such a fun read!!!! Idk, I liked the Chanel on you!!!