404 Best Places to Shop in France

Mariage Frères, with its colonial charme and wooden counters, has 100-plus years of tea purveying behind it. Choose from more than 450 blends from 32 countries, not to mention teapots, teacups, books, and tea-flavor biscuits and candies. High tea and light lunches are served here and at several other Paris locations.

A curated selection of sophisticated, superchic European-designed clothes, shoes, scarves, jewelry, and accessories for women is displayed in a soaring 18th-century space.

The simplicity and style of these handmade children's clothes has helped Marie Puce acquire a loyal clientele since it was created in 2003. Made to withstand everyday wear and tear, the cotton pants and Liberty of London blouses and dresses can be passed down from one sibling to another.

Marni started out as a little Italian label that put a quirky spin on classic styles, employing retro-ish prints and colors (think citron yellow or seaweed green) and funky fabrics (such as rubberized cotton and filmy silks). Now it has evolved into a major player on the edgy fashion scene. Each season has something new to say—whether it's an inventive take on bold ethnic prints, ingenious knits, or eloquent color schemes. Sought-after shoes and jewelry never make it to sale time.

Part museum, part lighting design studio, this extraordinary boutique in Gargas, 6 km (4 miles) northwest of Apt, provides the chandeliers for France's best houses, including Versailles and the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. Every imaginable style of lighting from any period is represented here: gorgeous chandeliers, appliqués, sconces, you name it. The mix includes genuine antiques and replicas as well as original creations, and the rarest of the bunch can reach well into the six figures. Shipping is available.

This sprawling, designer-focused shopping village on the outskirts of Troyes (take D677 towards Châlons-en-Champagne) includes over 100 boutiques. The open-air shopping mall hosts premium shops along with picnic areas, green spaces, eateries, and a Champagne bar. Top brands include Polo Ralph Lauren, Boss, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Karl Lagerfeld, Nike, and Levi’s.  

The first Paris offshoot of the famous patisserie and tea salon in Lille (one of France's oldest) specializes in the gauffre, a delicate waffle handmade in the original 19th-century molds and wrapped in gilt-paper packages. Native to Belgium and northern France, Méert's version is treasured for its light cream center perfumed with Madagascar vanilla. There are also chocolates, pastries, and flavored guimauves, the airy French marshmallows.

After years of working with the best and brightest in the Paris pastry world, superstar Christophe Michalak is now opening boutiques, writing books, and promoting his skills. His signature pastries are smooth, eye-popping ovals of glazed perfection, whether the bright orange mango mousse with crunchy textures or the green pistachio coconut version. If you're less adventurous, the small vanilla cake is rich and flavorful.

Michel Belin's chocolate delights are deservedly famous.

This Faubourg St-Honoré boutique dispenses with Miu Miu's Modernist ethos in favor of a Neo-Baroque sensibility—and it influences everything from the velvet wallpaper to, perhaps, a lavish pair of ruby slippers. Although the shoes and accessories scream glitz, the clothes still have a sleek refinement, with the designer's notorious tension between minimalism and opulence.

Little items for the home in a riot of colors are sold here, but you'll also find fabulous rubber jewelry and funky stuff for kids big and small.

This independent shop sells reasonably priced clothes, quirky accessories, and jewelry, as well as candles, cushions, and other gift items. In addition to this branch in the antiques district by the port, there's a branch at  32 Rue Bonaparte. 

With branches throughout the city, consider this the French Target. Here you'll find everyday items like cosmetics, groceries, toys, kitchenware, and more, as well as a grocery section that's a great place to stock up on French chocolate, jams, or confit de canard at reasonable prices. Monoprix also has a line of stylish, inexpensive, basic wearables for the whole family—particularly adorable kids' clothes.

Kanketsu (simplicity) is the guiding philosophy at Muji, and the resulting streamlined designs are all the rage in Europe. Must-haves include a collection of mini-necessities—travel essentials, wee office gizmos, purse-size accoutrements, plus the best notebooks and pens around. They're so useful and adorable you'll want them all.

The exhaustive list of decorative treasures here includes candles, artisanal ceramics from French and international designers, photo albums, and gifts. The owner curates each piece, and if your eyes are bigger than your suitcase, international shipping is available. 

This ultrachic concept store is the best boutique in town for original, up-to-the-minute French and European designer fashions, with a curated selection of clothing, shoes, accessories, perfume, and beauty products. There's also a selection of fabulous jewelry, including Gigi Clozeau’s coveted necklaces and bracelets.

This shop specializes in Fafiotte's high-end evening wear, and you need an appointment to visit.

The jury's still out on the elevation of the duo behind the menswear label Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh to the helm of the women's line, which debuted in spring 2019. Ricci’s airy white-on-white Avenue Montaigne boutique is one of Paris's dreamiest, and high on the must-visit list. Expectations are high for the Dutch team, who are sure to introduce some streamlined tailoring into this resolutely feminine house.

Ofr gets magazines from the most fashionable spots in the world before anyone else. The store is messy, but you can rub shoulders with photo and press agents while checking out the latest in underground, art, and alternative monthlies.

It took four years for this 17th-century mansion to be transformed into a masterpiece of Japanese craftsmanship, and that hard work is evident, from the rough wabi-sabi walls and the graceful sculptural touches to the ethereal handmade porcelain tea and dinnerware for sale in this boutique and pastry shop, also featuring organic Japanese teas and pastries.

Come here for the best selection of Provençal olive oils in town. Oliviera is run by the passionate Nadim Beyrouti, who also serves Mediterranean dishes made with the finest local ingredients.

Farmers' markets (which often include clothing and household goods) run nearly every day, but the largest are held Friday morning on Place St-Sauveur and Sunday morning on Place Courtonne. In March and November, around 100 collectors and dealers flock to Les Puces Caennaises, Caen's bric-a-brac and antiques fair, at the Parc des Expositions (entry €5).

Corsican crafts of all kinds are for sale in this tiny souvenir shop. Of special interest is the cutlery, hand-forged with wrought-iron and wooden handles.

Run by Guerlain family member Patricia de Nicolaï, this perfumerie sells children's, women's, and men's scents (including some unisex) as well as sprays for the home and fragrant candles.

One of the biggest shopping centers in Europe is Part-Dieu, where you'll find more than 250 shops and boutiques. Galeries Lafayette, a major department store, brings Parisian flair to Lyon.

Built in 1799, the city's oldest extant arcade has become a foodie paradise, with no fewer than a dozen gourmet destinations, including Racines, Alstair, Caffé Sterne, and Coinstot Vino wine bar.

This passage is full of eclectic shops selling toys, Asian furnishings, cinema posters, and more. Pain d'Épices, at No. 29, specializes in dollhouse decor.