Christmas shopping in Paris

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – except for the distinct lack of presents under the Christmas tree! In order to rectify this I rushed off for a 24 hour Christmas shopping in Paris expedition.

For my guide to the best places to shop (valid all year) and the best window displays (Christmas period only!), read on.

Christmas shopping in Paris

Boulevard Haussmann

The obvious starting point for Christmas shopping in Paris is Boulevard Haussmann and in particular the two big department stores: Printemps and Galeries Lafayette.

This year Galeries Lafayette has chosen the theme ‘Christmas from another planet’ and their window display depicts the adventures of a little robot, called Leon and his family.

The renowned Galeries Lafayette Christmas tree continues the theme of an intergalactic Christmas, with a giant Christmas tree made from gold and silver meteors. Every day at 12pm, 3pm, 4h30pm and 6pm you can watch their light and sound show (under the dome).

To celebrate its 150th Christmas, Printemps has teamed up with scenographer Philippe Decouflé to animate its window display and tell a Christmas fairy tale.

Each of the 11 windows presents a scene in collaboration with the store’s partner brands, such as Lancôme, Christian Louboutin, Sonia Rykiel, Burberry and Evian. The photographs above and below show ‘the Ballet of the Roses’ by Lancôme and ‘Let the Show begin’ by Christian Louboutin.

On Boulevard Haussmann, you can also find the majority of current stores, such as Zara, Mango, H+M, Sephora, and others to complete your shopping.

The main drawback to shopping on Boulevard Haussmann is the fact that this area is always busy and the crowds can be very tiring. If you want to get a good view of the window displays, it is better to go in the week.

However, if you don’t want to brave the crowds, then there is always the possibility of on-line shopping.

If you still want to shop in person, but want something a little more original, (and slightly quieter), then head to the Marais.

Le Marais (3rd et 4th neighbourhoods)

The Marais (sandwiched between St-Paul and République) is one of the most hip areas in Paris, with beautiful architecture, (don’t miss the Place des Vosges) and crooked medieval lanes crammed with bars, restaurants, old-fashioned shops, art galleries, museums and fashion boutiques.

I could easily (and will!) write a whole blog post on the Marais, which has a very village feel to it. But, as this post is about Christmas shopping I will confine myself to the advantages of shopping in this district for now, of which one key advantage is that the majority of shops are open in the Marais on a Sunday (when many other places are closed in Paris.)

The main department store in the Marais, known as the Parisians’ favourite department store, is the BHV Marais, opposite the “hôtel de ville“.

This year the BHV theme is a ‘So British’ Christmas (God Save Christmas at Le BHV Marais). The windows and interior abound with images of London, bulldogs and the Queen! There is also a range of British pop-up stores, such as Liberty, Topshop, Ted Baker, Karen Millen, Fred Perry, Dr Martens and Jigsaw.

There are also a range of events planned, such as afternoon tea, a visit from Santa, photos and Christmas songs.

As mentioned previously, the Marais is also known for its range of boutiques, including both high and low end fashion shops, jewellery shops, wine shops, and beauty shops.

I particularly like the jewellery store, Pierre Caron in the Rue des Archives for its large selection of affordable jewellery and the Rue de Sévigné (close to the St Paul metro station) is home to the Sandro stock shop and the recently opened Claudie Pierlot stock shop.

A stock shop proposes items for sale from last season’s collection with about a 30-40% reduction (more in the sales) on the initial price so it’s a good place to snap up a bargain.

The only disadvantage of the Marais is that the small, intersecting, medieval streets can make it difficult to find your way around, so make sure to take a map!

As much as I love the Marais, I have saved my favourite shopping area for last.

Le sixième

The sixième is an oasis of calm amidst all the hustle and bustle in Paris. My favourite department store is ‘Le Bon Marché’ on Rue de Sèvres (which is actually just on the border of the 7th neighbourhood).

The Christmas theme reflects the style of the shop – elegant and tasteful, with beautifully decorated windows, a real Christmas tree and a range of stylish decorations throughout the store. I was so entranced by the decorations here that I took several photos and the shopping was a pleasure.

Have a look at the Bon Marché site for further information.

On the ground floor you can find La Grande Epicerie de Paris, a subsidiary of Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, which is one of the capital’s leading food stores, and can be compared to the food section of Harrods or Fortnum and Masons in the UK.

As on Haussmann, all the shops such as Zara, Mango, Sephora, H+M, Kookai, Marionnaud etc. can also be found in this neighbourhood. So, you can complete all your Christmas shopping here.

Paris Christmas Markets

Of course, like any major city, Paris is also home to several Christmas markets, of which the most well known takes place from November 13th 2015 to January 3rd 2016 from the Place de la Concorde to the Rond-point des Champs-Élysées.

As well as the wooden chalets selling a variety of crafts and food, there is also a Ferris wheel on the Place de la Concorde and of course, the Christmas decorations all along the Champs-Élysées.

The Ferris wheel will remain on Place de la Concorde until September 23rd, 2016, open every day from 11am until midnight (Friday and Saturday night until 1am).

For further information and details of other Christmas markets around Paris have a look at this site.

I hope you find this guide to Christmas Shopping in Paris useful, and have a look here for more of our features about France.

I will be back soon with more style, lifestyle and travel inspiration and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog below to make sure you never miss a post,

 

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