A friend and I will be spending a week in Paris, arriving on Tuesday, the 17th from the U.S. This is the last day of the winter sales. I'm usually pretty wiped out when I arrive, but aim to hit the ground running. If you've shopped the winter sales, how would you spend a day looking for clothing and shoe bargains for women?

That's the 17 of February, of course.

Though the sales are officially over on that date, things still continue. Don't panic. The sales used to be much more tightly regulated in the past, but that's not really the case, anymore. The merchants just want to get rid of stuff and make money, and the economy is so bad that the government has relaxed the rules.
Most people would probably head to the big department stores, first - Galeries Lafayette and Printemps both have excellent shoe departments. Plenty of other smaller stores nearby, too.

While the sales continue, the merchandise is rather picked over even at this point. If you are looking for basic items such as socks, umbrellas, dishes, or pajamas, you may be in luck. Finding shoes will be a lot more problematic, particularly if you wear a common size.

Galeries Lafayette is already replacing many of the sales displays with new items for spring (which are not on sale).

Merci bien!