Less than a month until Christmas! If you have not yet finished (or started) your holiday shopping, hopefully this post will give you some helpful ideas.
There are plenty of websites out there that speak to the latest fashion trends in Paris, the trendiest new boutiques and the not-to-miss grand openings of the latest international brands’ shops. I have to confess, that really does not interest me. I am more interested in find good values, unique items and friendly service. Below are my favorite shops in Paris, which I encourage you to visit. No, they are not paying me a cent for this plug.
Decathlon: I love sporting goods and outdoor gear. Decathlon has quality products coupled with some of the best prices on this gear that I have seen anywhere, which makes it an especially good bargain for Paris. I frequent the location on ave Wagram in the 8th arrondissement, just a couple of blocks from Etoile, which is usually less crowded than the slightly more central Madeleine location. They have just about everything you could possibly need and then some. Some of my favorite purchases include foldable mini-backpacks and the best hiking pants I’ve ever owned. The only thing they do not seem to do well is sports bras.
Decathlon
26 Avenue de Wagram
75008 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 45 72 66 88
Click here and then search under “Nos magasins” for additional locations.
Carré d’Artistes: Carré d’Artistes is a chain of small art galleries that sell works from up-and-coming artists at very reasonable prices that are determined based on the size of the work. For a small extra cost, you can purchase a frame for the piece. The idea behind Carré d’Artistes is to support these artists as well offering its customers the possibility of owning original art at non-home-remortgaging prices. The people who work in the St.-André-des-Arts gallery in the 6th arrondissment, the location I visit often, are always exceptionally helpful and friendly. And I am much more likely to find a work that I like than in a gallery of works in the over €10,000 range. In the last four years I have purchased more pieces from Carré d’Artistes than I would like to admit; at one point the staff half-jokingly even offered me a job.
Carré d’Artistes
66, rue St.-André-des-Arts
75006 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 43 25 61 72
Click here for other locations.
E. Dehillerin: E. Dehillerin is a family-run shop that has served Paris since 1820, supplying every possible kitchen gadget you could possibly think of and many you have never heard of before, both for professional chefs and culinary dabblers like me. If they do not carry the item you need, they will order it for you. It is worth a trip to this kitchen supplies Mecca for the traditional feel alone—shelves piled to the ceiling with shiny toys for the kitchen-gadget obsessed, drawer upon drawer of utensils and an incredibly knowledgeable staff. Though I cannot imagine that you will walk out without buying something!
E. Dehillerin
18 and 20, rue Coquillière – 51, rue Jean- Jacques Rousseau
75001 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 42 36 53 13
Email: info@e-dehillerin.fr
Rickshaw: Rickshaw is an eclectic gallery of small furniture and other decorative items located in the Passage du Grand Cerf, one of Paris’s most impressive traditional shopping arcades. The shop is actually divided into two stores—one on either side of the arcade, but they function as one shop. The prices are reasonable and sale prices can be particularly intriguing. The stores are packed full of unique items primarily imported from India. I have purchased, among other items, a number of heavy, wood-framed mirrors, some dishes for food styling (a project I never seem to find the time for) and a small turquoise cabinet that was marked down from €390 to €100.
Rickshaw
7, passage du Grand Cerf
75002 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 42 21 41 03
My runners up? If you are looking for home goods with a sprinkling of women’s clothing, visit Maison de Famille for more elegant items or Le Grand Comptoir for a mix of cottage and eclectic:
Maison de Famille
29 Rue St Sulpice
75006 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 56 24 96 91
or
10 Place Madeleine
75008 Paris, France
Phone: +33 (0)1 53 45 82 02
Le Grand Comptoir
116 rue du Bac
75007 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 40 49 00 95
What is your favorite shop in Paris?
