Shopping in Paris and visit the city of lights, a great combo stay!

In 2018, Paris was the third most visited city in the world after Bangkok and London. A very good figure, obtained thanks to the cultural wealth of the city. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Montmartre are still as popular, but it is not its only strenghts. Shopping in Paris appears to be more aimed at.

Then in addition to tourism, shopping is one of the major Parisian attractions for foreigners in those recent years, since 53% of them shop during their stay, against 26% for the French. Shopping in Paris became as popular as visiting the City of lights. Even better, 15% mention this activity as the main reason for their travel, while nearly 34% would not make the trip if they could not indulge in shopping. Some would even only come to France for shopping in Paris, since tourists from the Middle East spend 74% of their time in the capital for shopping, and around 61% for the Japanese!

For a long time put aside, shopping is one of the fundamental factors of the dynamism of our capital. Besides, isn’t Paris the “capital of shopping and fashion”? In any case, the City has everything for it.

Shopping in Paris : a very specific and unique experience to offer:

In Paris, this trend is not to be taken lightly. Between redevelopment of commercial premises and assistance to the installation of creators, the capital has been able to acquire an exceptional commercial density with no less than 61,000 businesses (more than in London) and strong areas of concentration around touristic sites, thus spreading a culture-shopping mesh in the shape of a virtuous circle. This mix and match on visit and shopping in Paris or Versailles is besides the key of some very popular spots, like the dedicated outlet mall One Nation Paris.

More than its density, it is the diversity of offer that makes Paris and Versailles areas some legitimate places to shop. At the top of the list of sought-after products are, of course, delicacies, fashion items and “à la française” lifestyle. Comtesse du Barry, Lindt, Maison Foude, even Haribo, and fashion labels like Claudie Pierlot, The Kooples, Sandro, Zadig & Voltaire, that’s what Asian tourists generally love. Between outlet shopping centers, shops that develop in train stations or airports and small stalls of creative craftsmen, the choice is there. This diversity also satisfies 92% of tourists, a European record despite stores closed on Sunday in center Paris. But open 7/7 even on Sunday in One Nation Paris Outlet!

Shopping in Paris: constant improvement of the offer

Good news for this commercial sector, revealed by General Manager of Paris Convention and Visitors Office, is that “the tourists who consume the most are also those whose growth in attendance was the highest in recent years “. Thus, Russians, Chinese, Brazilians and Middle Easterners do not look at expenses, especially in an outlet mall. On average, a tourist from these countries would leave 1,700 euros in a shopping mall in Paris! Another eloquent figure, the number of Chinese visiting the capital has tripled between 2013 and 2015. Evidence of the importance of purchases for Asians, most of them grant a budget increasingly important to this activity (34 % for Chinese), often despite a significant expense on hotel or shared flat.

Despite these auspicious trends, a few months sound a little hollow in the city of lights, like the winter month of January. Stuck between post-Christmas period and domestic sales, it struggles to seduce a touristic clientele. At least, for the moment, as since eight years, Paris Tourist Office has been pushing forward Parisian winter Sales abroad. An initiative that is beginning to bear fruit and to fill the hotel park, thanks to our neighbors Swiss, Belgian, Dutch and English, the most inclined to spend a few days on Sales. Above all, One Nation Paris Outlet proposes marked prices from 30 to 70 % off all year round. Nevertheless, customers from more distant countries, more likely to spend a lot, are also targeted. “The French romanticism, very sought after, is seen from the angle of gifts, especially in Asia. And what more beautiful as a gift as a handbag bought in Paris? says Christian Mantei, Atout France President. At Trussardi for example, for a nice and unique purse? In addition, Paris launched a new edition of its Paris shopping book, a guide for trendy boutiques and shopping itineraries. Should you be convinced of visiting Paris or Versailles, try the dedicated shuttle from Eiffel Tower or Versailles Palace to get to One Nation Paris, and make your shopping in Paris easier.

Shopping in Paris for parisians ?

Finally, in order to emphasize the welcome of tourists, Paris tourist office has set up the “Do you speak tourist?” operation, aimed at merchants to improve basic knowledge of certain languages, ​​especially to relearn some rules of use for a better welcome of tourists. In a nutshell, to make a Paris stay unforgettable for tourists, nothing like smiles, welcome and advices of merchants staff of Outlet mall One Nation Paris!