Paris

Shopping

About Paris Shopping

Visitors need only stroll the streets of Paris to see that shopping is practically a national pastime. Not only are the sidewalks lined with boutiques and stores, but city residents are stylishly dressed and accessorized. And with designer shows featured throughout the year, it’s no surprise that new items are introduced regularly. If high-end goods are your weakness, Emporio Armani, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès stock beautiful, impeccably crafted items that subtly advertise your good taste and sufficient means. Should you need to maximize shopping time, head for boulevard Haussmann and make your way through the city’s prestigious department stores. Galeries Lafayette is a classic, boasting stunning architecture to boot. And Forum des Halles, which occupies the site of Paris’s age-old markets, offers lots of distinct venues in a fascinating, underground complex. A bit farther out from the city center, Les Quatres Temps in La Defense sits beside the Grande Arche and closely fits the mold of typical American shopping centers. These various settings, of course, are in addition to the fantastic, independent establishments you’ll stumble across while exploring the city’s back streets, grand boulevards, and charming neighborhoods. -- Kelly Sigmon, Senior Editor