Paris is a FABULOUS place for shopping, but just because the city is known as a fashion capital, it doesn’t mean there’s amazing shopping everywhere around the city. Actually, some neighborhoods mainly have big international chain stores that you also likely have at home. The worst place for this is the Champs-Élysées, which has sadly become a place where most Parisians never shop…
So instead of recommending you go to that famous avenue, this round-up on the best shopping areas in Paris includes some fabulous local districts that have well-known French brands, but also affordable smaller French brands, independent boutiques, and fantastic vintage shops. In these wonderful neighborhoods to wander and browse, I hope you’ll find some unique pieces from Paris to bring back home.
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Image Courtesy of Merci via Instagram
The Marais
When my visiting friends ask me where they should go shopping, I tell them the Marais. One of the favorite places to shop for Parisians, it’s central, attractive to walk around, and has a HUGE variety of shops, so it really is perfect. Because the district is fairly big (taking up all the 3rd and 4th arrondissements), I’ve split it into three sectors which have different types of shops. This will help you decide which area you might like to visit (or you can also go to all three):
The North Marais (around rue de Bretagne) has cool mid-range boutiques and some fashionable independent local designers (especially on and around rue de Poitou). On the edge of the North Marais, you can also find the fabulous concept store Merci, which sells carefully chosen clothing, housewares, and other odds and ends. In general, it’s a tad pricier than the other two parts of the Marais, but you’ll get “cooler” fashion.
Central Marais (around rue des Francs Bourgeois) has some independent boutiques, however, it mainly has mid-range French international brands, like Maje. You’ll also find some brands that are less available abroad, like Comptoir des Cotonniers (great quality basics), and Pablo (nice everyday clothing). It’s also where there are a lot of artisanal perfume shops, like Juliette Has a Gun, in case a new scent or gift items are on your Paris shopping list.
Some of these shops in this area and across this guide offer VAT refunds, have a read of our VAT refund guide to find out how to take advantage of this amazing system that makes shopping in France cheaper.
The South Marais (between rue des Rosiers and Francois Miron) is where you’ll find some small boutiques and a whole bunch of great vintage shops. I go into more detail on these in this article on vintage shopping in Paris, and I’ve included the best on Day 3 of Paris Itineraries.
Image Courtesy of Le Bon Marché via Facebook
Saint Germain
If you’re looking for chic Parisian clothing, I’d recommend you go to this posh Left Bank neighborhood. It’s another of the best shopping areas in Paris, especially for mid to high-end shopping. There are lots of small shops in and around rue de Bonaparte and on the streets towards Le Bon Marché, the first department store in Paris and a favorite of locals.
You’ll find top luxury brands at Le Bon Marché and many have their own boutiques around the Saint-Germain des Près Church. Many of these shops also offer VAT refund shopping.
If you’re looking for fantastic deals on French beauty products, head to CityPharma. This is an amazing discount drug store that offers VAT refunds. You might as well stock up – and save a LOT of money – while you’re here.
Image Courtesy of Limousine via Instagram
Canal Saint-Martin
If you’re looking for French fashion that you won’t be able to get back home – and that’s pretty affordable – then head over to the Canal Saint-Martin. The area has a whole bunch of independent boutiques, small French chain shops and great vintage stores. I really like shopping by the canal and often go there to get things for myself or for gifts – and I always find some really cool things.
You’ll find most of these on the streets around the Canal, especially on its west side (the left when looking at the canal on a map). There are a lot of fantastic shops on rue Beaupaire, so you could start your shopping there. You’ll find some cool vintage shops, like Limousine, but I also LOVE Ideco Store, which sells all kinds of fun things from stationery to clothing. This and other great shops in the area are included in the walking route of Day 4 of our Paris Itineraries.
Image Courtesy of Rose Durantin via Facebook
Montmartre
Montmartre is also one of the best shopping areas in Paris, but you have to know where to find the good shops – which are definitely NOT found on top of the hill near Sacré-Coeur. Up there, you’ll virtually only find shops selling mass-produced souvenirs. Instead, go for a little wander in and around rue des Abbesses, where there are lots of wonderful shops.
The main “local” street of Montmartre, Rue des Abbesses has a good array of mid-range French clothing brands as well as some great independent boutiques. I live in Montmartre and some of my favorite shops are Rose Durantin, LAB30, and Atelier des Créateurs, which all sell cool clothing, jewelry, accessories, and design items that are made in France. You’ll find these on Day 3 of our Paris Itineraries, plus a lot of other great hidden gems to discover in between popping into boutiques.
While you’re meandering around Montmartre, you’ll likely also come across some of the area’s many vintage shops. These are scattered on the smaller streets around the Abbesses district, but a word of caution, prices can vary dramatically from shop to shop, but By Flowers, has some fabulous items at reasonable prices.
Opera District
I’ve included the Opera district in this list of where to shop in Paris, but to be completely honest, even though it’s popular with some Parisians, it’s not my favorite. The streets around the Opéra Garnier are packed with fast fashion boutiques, but the main reason you might like to come here is to go to two of Paris’s most famous department stores: Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.
These huge shops are beautiful and nice to visit just to see the decoration and go to the free viewing deck on their roofs. When it comes to shopping, I’d recommend going to one of these stores if you’re short on time or want to do VAT tax-free shopping all in one place.
Each one has pretty much the same brands, so you’ll find mid to high-range French fashion, accessories, and cosmetics in both. They each have a VAT refund shopping office right in the store, so it speeds up your refund process.
I hope this big ol’ list is a good start for your Paris shopping adventures. Even if you just do some “lech-vitrine” (window-shopping), you’ll have a great time seeing what the French like to wear (NOT what’s worn in Emily in Paris).
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