Shopping
“Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never really be elegant.”—
Honore de Balzac
Shopping for clothes? Shoes? Kitchen utensils? Food? Books? Antiques?
Paris has it all! Here are some of the popular places to get these things:
Markets in Paris:
Department Stores
Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are department store rivals located beside each other on Boulevard Haussmann (40 and 64 Blvd Haussmann respectively). Both were opened in the 1800s and have boutiques inside. Be sure to show your passport at the Information Counter in order to get a 10% off discount card.
Famous Streets, Famous Retailers
Visit Avenue Montaigne and check out Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Valentino.
Kitchen Goods
E. Dehillerin (18, rue Coquilliere)
If you’re looking for a kitchen supply store, there is no better than E. Dehillerin, located in the Les Halles area. I have purchased many items there, and so have many celebrity chefs and even the Vice-President of the United States! Shopping at this store is an experience in itself as I wrote in this post: My Favourite Kitchen Supply Store: E. Dehillerin In Paris.
Household Goods
Maisons du Monde is a chain of stores that carry home decor/accessories. On the recommendation from a Parisian, I visited the store and picked up a great tablecloth that is ever-so-lightly plasticized on top so that cleaning is a breeze. Of course, it has a French motif on it. Stores are located all over France and some other cities in Europe.
Uniquely Parisian
Here are some other stores which have really unique, hip, kitschy items including these concept stores:
Fleux (39 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 4e arr)
Merci (111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 3rd arr)
Bookstores
Those with English books can be found at WH Smith (248, rue de Rivoli), Shakespeare and Co. (37 Rue de la Bûcherie), and The Abbey Bookshop (29, rue de la Parcheminerie)
Local Art
In Montmartre one has to check out the work of local artists in the area Place du Tertre, near Sacre Coeur.
Check out my post, “Unique Gifts Bought In France” to see if there’s something you might consider bring back from your travels.