Department stores and hypermarkets
France > Paris > Shopping > Clothes > Department stores and hypermarkets
Paris's two largest department stores, Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, are right next door to each other near the St-Lazare station, and between them there's not much they don't have. Catching up with them is La Samaritaine, which is moving steadily upmarket and set for expansion. Best for food is Au Bon Marché.In addition, Paris has its share of hypermarkets – giant shopping complexes – of which the Forum des Halles, in the 1er; the Centre Maine-Montparnasse, in the 14e; and the Quatre-Saisons, in La Défense, are the biggest. Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville (BHV) 52–64 rue de Rivoli, 4e. Only two years younger than the Bon Marché and noted in particular for its DIY department, artists' materials and cheap self-service restaurant overlooking the Seine. For lighter refreshment, check out the Bricolo Café in the DIY section, done out like an old-fashioned workshop complete with workbenches and lamps. The store is less elegant in appearance than some of its rivals, perhaps, but the value for money is pretty good. M° Hôtel-de-Ville. Mon–Sat 9.30am–7pm, except Wed & Thurs till 8.30pm. Au Bon Marché 38 rue de Sèvres, 7e. Paris's oldest department store, founded in 1852. Prices are lower on average than at the more chic Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. Excellent kids' department and a legendary food hall. M° Sèvres-Babylone. Mon–Sat 9.30am–7pm, Sat till 8pm. Galeries Lafayette 40 bd Haussmann, 9e www.galerieslafayette.com. The store's forte is high fashion with two floors given over to the latest creations by leading designers, plus a large section devoted to clothes for children on the fourth floor. Then there's household stuff, a host of big names in men's and women's accessories, a sizeable lingerie department, a huge parfumerie, not to mention a branch of the Angélina salon de thé, full of lunching ladies – all under a superb 1900 dome. M° Havre-Caumartin. Mon–Sat 9.30am–7pm, Thurs till 9pm. Printemps 64 bd Haussmann, 9ewww.printemps.fr. Books, records, a parfumerie even bigger than the rival Galeries Lafayette's. Excellent fashion department for women spread over five floors. The sixth-floor restaurant is right underneath the beautiful Art Nouveau glass dome. M° Havre-Caumartin. Mon–Sat 9.30am–7pm, Thurs till 10pm. La Samaritaine 75 rue de Rivoli, 1er. This venerable belle époque building used to aim downmarket of the previous two, but recently it was taken over by the luxury goods group LVMH and has undergone something of a makeover. What hasn't changed however are the superb views of Paris from the tenth-floor terrace café (closed Oct–March). M° Pont-Neuf. Mon–Sat 9.30am–7pm, Thurs till 10pm. Tati 4 bd Rochechouart, 18ewww.tati.fr. Hugely succesful budget department store chain with a distinctive pink gingham logo. Sells reliable and utterly cheap clothing, among a host of other items. Branches at Galerie Gaîté Montparnasse, 68 av du Maine, 14e; M° Gaîté); 172 rue du Temple, 3e; M° République; 11 bis rue Scribe, 9e; M° Opéra); 106 rue du Fbg du Temple, 11e; M° Belleville). M° Barbès. Mon–Sat 10am–7pm.
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