Best Shopping Spots in Paris

By: Lia Nickson

Shopping has always been one of the top things people look forward to when visiting Paris…after all, it is the city of Fashion! So it surprised me when I arrived here and felt like every store was high-end or designer. For the first month, it felt as though the only accessible store was ZARA and that I was completely missing out on this huge part of Parisian culture but the longer I’ve been here the more hidden spots I’ve found. 

Paris contains more vintage stores than thrift stores but while they might seem expensive at first glance I promise you, you just have to look. My favorite area overall is “Le Marais” which is the shopping hub of Paris. If you walk by the Hotel de Ville you will find two Guerrisol thrift stores these thrift stores are well-curated and have a lot to offer. There are many Guerrisols all throughout Paris but these two are my favorite. If you then walk along Rue de la Verrerie in the direction of the Louvre you will then find a chain of four “Free ‘P’ Star” stores. 

These are overall the most affordable thrift stores I have found in Paris and hold some really unique pieces. Right next to it are three different “Kilo Shops” which is another chain of thrift stores in Paris that sell clothes by the Kilogram. Rue de la Verrerie is the most promising street for an endless supply of thrift stores but if you are looking to seek out some unique Parisian boutiques I recommend heading in the opposite direction towards Place des Vosges, walking through Les Marais in this direction will lead you to streets littered with tiny Parisian boutiques (some more expensive than others) that are absolutely stunning. 

Whether you end up buying something or not it is a great way to spend a day and see so many new things. Another area that I love that is also next to Le Marais is Rue Montorgueil it is a busy market street with so much to look at and buy (food and clothes!) one of my favorite jewelry stores is by here called “Liao Et Filles” it is real gold plated jewelry so some pieces are more expensive than others. 

My favorite thrift and vintage stores in this area are Episode, Ressourcerie, and Bobby. Episode is a massive store with endless supplies of jackets, sweaters, and honestly, anything you're looking for. Prices vary but overall it's in the 10$- 30$ price range. Ressourcerie is a very tiny thrift store but the prices are unbeatable. There isn’t a huge selection but on occasion, you’ll find something you really love. Bobby on the other hand is a vintage designer store where prices range anywhere from 30$- 300$ for all name-brand clothing and the interior is super funky and cool. 

Overall the longer you stay in Paris the more stores you will find but these are my personal favorites and have helped me find pieces that I’ll love and remind me of Paris forever.