7 Most Exclusive Shopping Spots in Paris
If you think Paris’s luxury scene ends with the Champs-Élysées, you’re on for a surprise. The following exclusive spots take shopping to another level. Here’s where to find the best high-end shopping in Paris.
1. Avenue Montaigne
Avenue Montaigne is Paris’s luxury fashion center, home to flagship stores of iconic French brands like Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. It’s lined with exclusive boutiques that showcase the latest in haute couture fashion. Avenue Montaigne draws in a high-end clientele looking for signature pieces from leading designers, especially for formal and evening wear. Many brands offer personalized shopping experiences. This is one of Paris’s most picturesque shopping destinations.
2. Rue Saint-Honoré
Rue Saint-Honoré, near the Louvre, is a top destination for fashion-forward luxury shopping. This area hosts high-end designer boutiques and trendy concept stores, including Goyard, a historic French brand famous for its monogrammed leather goods. There are also smaller, niche brands and avant-garde designers which, unlike more classic shopping streets, have a modern take on luxury.
3. Faubourg Saint-Honoré
As Rue Saint-Honoré extends westward, it transforms into Faubourg Saint-Honoré, a distinguished shopping area where you can find flagship stores of legendary French fashion houses like Hermès, Saint Laurent, and Lanvin. Faubourg Saint-Honoré has a more formal, classic atmosphere geared toward timeless, high-end pieces. This section of the street has been synonymous with luxury for over a century. Many stores provide tailored customer service.
4. Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées
An extension of the famed Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées has a refined, curated selection of luxury brands and designer pieces in a beautifully designed space. The store has a modern, creative approach to luxury shopping, with stylish interiors and displays that make browsing an experience in itself. It also organizes fashion-related events and installations.
5. Place Vendôme
Place Vendôme is the heart of luxury jewelry and fine watchmaking in Paris. Surrounded by elegant 18th-century architecture, the square is where Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chaumet, and watchmakers Rolex and Breguet, are located. Place Vendôme’s connection to high jewelry dates back centuries. Stores offer private appointments and personalized service.
6. Le Bon Marché
Le Bon Marché is a chic, Left Bank department store with a sophisticated selection of luxury fashion, accessories, home goods, and gourmet food. Founded in 1852, it’s has maintained a reputation for refined luxury shopping ever since. Le Bon Marché has a quieter, more intimate ambiance compared to other department stores, appealing to shoppers looking for exclusivity. It’s famous for its designer collections especially in women’s fashion and French specialty foods.
7. La Samaritaine
Recently reopened after extensive renovations, this historic department store near the Seine river has distinctive Art Nouveau architecture and a modern luxury shopping experience. It has a variety of high-end brands and designer boutiques, with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products. The building itself is a major attraction for its beautiful details including the glass ceiling and mosaics. La Samaritaine also includes gourmet dining and event spaces.
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Cover photo: Florian Plag (CC BY 2.0)