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Shopping
in Paris
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Paris seems to be the very definition of luxury and good living. Beautifully dressed men and women sip wine by the banks of the Seine against a backdrop of spendid French architecture or shop at small specialty shops. The least expensive way of joining the chic set is to create French style with accessories or costume jewelry. But here you can also buy world-famous fashion or treat yourself to wonderful food and related item.
Remember, too, that Parisian shops and markets are the ideal places to indulge in the French custom of seeing and being seen. For high fashion, the Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré and Avenue Montaigne have many exquisite couture-house window displays, or you can browse around the bookstalls along the Seine.
Shops in Paris are normally open from 9:30am to 7pm Monday through Saturday, but hours can vary considerably. Boutiques may shut for an hour or two at midday, and markets and local neighborhood shops close on Mondays. Some places shut down for the summer, usually in August, but those selling essentials may leave a note on the door with the name of an open equivalent nearby.
Besides cash, traveler's checks are common currency. VISA is the most widely accepted credit card in Paris, but some shops may accept others. In theory, Eurochequescan be used in France, but some banks try to avoid them, and Crédit Agricole insists you cash a minimum of £200. Only the bigger stores are likely to accept them.
A value-added tax (VAT, or TVA in France) is imposed on most goods and services in EC countries. The French value-added tax is 19.6%, but you can get most of that back if you spend 182€ or more in any store that participates in the VAT refund program. Most stores participate. Once you meet your required minimum purchase amount, you qualify for a tax refund. The amount of the refund varies with the way the refund is handled and the fee some stores charge you for processing it. So the refund at a department store may be 13%, whereas at a small shop it may be 15% or even 18%. You must have been in France for less than six months and either carry the goods with you out of the country or get the shop to forward them. If you're with a group, you can usually buy good together to reach the minimum.
Larger shops will generally supply a form (bordereau de détaxe or bordereau de vente) and help you fill it in. When you leave France or the EC, you present the forms at customs, who forward your claim to the place where you bought the goods; the shop eventually sends you a refund. If you know someone in Paris it may be quicker if the can pick up the refund for you at the shop. Alternatively, at large airports like Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly some banks may have the facilities to refund you on the spot. Though the process involves a lot of paperwork, it can be worth it. There is no refund on food, wine and tobacco.
The best sales (soldes) in Paris are in January and July, althogh you can sometimes find sale items before Christmas - a treat that used to be unheard of. If you see goods labeled Stock, it means that they are stock items. Dégriffé means designer labels marked down, frequently from the previous year's collections. Fripes means that the clothes are second-hand. The sales tend to occupy prime floor space for the first month and are then relegated to the back of the store.
Much of the pleasure of shopping in Paris is derived from going to the specialty shops. But if time is short and you want to get all your purchases under one roof, then try the Grands Magasins (department stores).
Most Paris department stores still operate a ticket system for selling goods. The shop assistant writes up a ticket for goods from their own boutique, then you take the ticket to a cashier. You then return with your validated ticket to pick up your purchase. This can be frustrating and time consuming, so go early in the morning and don't shop on Saturdays. The French don't pay much attention to lines, so be assertive.
Though the cities department stores are generally stocked with similar merchandise, they have different emphases. All have somewhere to eat. Au Printemps is noted for its exciting and innovative household goods, and there is a building each for menswear, household goods, and women's and children's clothes. Fashion shows are on Tuesdays at 10am(also Fridays in summer). The beauty department store has one of the world's largest perfume selections, and the domed restaurant in a cupola is one of the best in such stores.
BHV (Le Bazaar de l'Hôtel de Ville) is a do-it-yourself paradise. Shop here for household basics and visit the restaurant for views of the Seine.
Designed by Gustave Eiffel, the Left Bank Au Bon Marché was the first department store in Paris and is the most chic, with a good food hall. Galeries Lafayette has a wide range of clothes at all price levels. Fashion shows are held at 11am on Wednesdays (and Fridays in Summer). Open late on Wednesdays, La Samaritaine is one of the oldest shops in Paris.It is full of bargains and often carries the same merchandise as Galeries Lafayette, at lower prices.It includes a shop devoted to sportswear and equipment, and there are good sales on household goods and furnishings. There is a panoramic view of the Seine from the restaurant (closed from the end of October until the beginning of April). Virgin Megastore is open until late and has a wide selection of old and new recordings and an extremely good book section. FNAC specializes in recordings, books (foreign editions at Les Halles) and also electronic equipment. FNAC Micro-informatique sells computer related material.
