Ultimate Paris Shopping Guide: What to Buy in Paris

Paris, the City of Light, is not only a visual delight but also a shopper's paradise for international tourists. From high fashion and luxury goods to gourmet delights and artisanal products, Paris offers an unparalleled shopping experience for travellers around the world. If you're planning a trip to Paris and want to make the most of your shopping spree, here's your ultimate guide on what to buy and where to find the best deals.

Things to Buy in Paris, France

Whether you’re a fashion enthusiast, a beauty lover, or a foodie, Paris has something special for every type of travel shopper:

Luxury and Fashion
Beauty and Skincare
Perfume
Electronics
Wine and Champaign
Chocolates and Macarons
Cheese and Truffle

Luxury and Fashion

When it comes to fashion, Paris reigns supreme. The city is a mecca for fashion enthusiasts, offering a dazzling array of clothing, bags, jewellery, accessories, and watches. Home to the world’s most prestigious fashion houses, including luxury giants like Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, as well as chic local brands like AMI Paris and Maison Kitsuné, shopping for luxury and fashion items in Paris can often be cheaper than in other countries. So, why not take the opportunity to shop for your favourite brands and unique pieces in Paris?

Where to buy luxury and fashion items in Paris

Boulevard Haussmann: Home to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, iconic department stores with a vast selection of high-end clothing, bags, jewelries, accessories and watches. These stores are a must-visit for anyone looking to experience the grandeur of Parisian shopping.
Le Marais: A trendy neighbourhood filled with chic boutiques and vintage shops, offering a unique mix of premium fashion and local designers. Here, you'll find French bag brands like Polène and lifestyle concept stores like Merci Paris, which offer a curated selection of fashion, home goods, and quirky gifts.
Avenue Montaigne and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré: Luxury shopping streets featuring flagship stores of renowned fashion houses like Burberry and Givenchy.
La Vallée Village: An outlet shopping destination just a short trip from the heart of Paris, which offers year-round discounts on fashion items from top brands like Gucci, Prada, and more. With savings of up to 50%, this open-air shopping village features over 110 boutiques, making it a perfect spot to find luxury at more accessible prices. Read our blog post here to learn more about shopping and saving at La Vallée Village, Paris.

Beauty and Skincare

Parisian cosmetics stores and pharmacies are a treasure trove for beauty enthusiasts, offering everything from skincare to beauty at competitive prices. French skincare brands such as Avène, La Roche-Posay, and Bioderma are renowned for their high-quality, effective skincare products, often priced lower in the home country. Exploring the beauty shops and pharmacies in Paris is a must for any traveller looking to indulge in top-notch skincare products and cosmetics.

Where to buy beauty and skincare products in Paris

Sephora, Marionnaud, and Nocibé: The largest cosmetics chains in France, offering a variety of makeup, skincare and hair products. They have numerous locations throughout the city, making it easy to find your favourite beauty products.
City Pharma and Pharmacie Monge: Situated in the sixth and fifth arrondissements of Paris respectively, these pharmacies are famous among locals and tourists alike for their unbeatable prices and vast selection of health and beauty products. From skincare essentials to hair care and vitamins, these pharmacies offer a fantastic selection. Known for their excellent customer service and multilingual staff, shopping here is easy and convenient for international visitors.

Perfumes

Paris is the birthplace of modern perfumery, and offers an unparalleled selection of fragrances that capture the essence of French elegance and sophistication. Perfumes can often be cheaper in Paris due to lower retail prices and the availability of exclusive scents that are hard to find elsewhere. Many perfume boutiques also provide personalised services to help you find your perfect scent, making your shopping experience even more memorable.

Where to buy perfumes in Paris

Le Bon Marche and La Samaritaine: Iconic department stores featuring an extensive range of designer perfumes such as Chanel, Dior, Hermes, Saint Lauren, etc. The luxurious ambiance and knowledgeable staff make these stores ideal for exploring high-end fragrances.
Sephora, Marionnaud, and Nocibé: Major cosmetics chains in Paris that not only offer a vast selection of makeup and skincare products but also provide an impressive array of perfumes. Whether you’re looking for a timeless classic or the latest release, these stores have thousands of iconic perfume brands to choose from.
Fragonard boutiques and Musée du Parfum: For a truly unique experience, visit Fragonard boutiques and its fragrance museum, Musée du Parfum. Fragonard is one of the oldest perfumeries in France, originated in the world's perfume capital, Grass. At Musée du Parfum, you can explore the full range of Fragonard fragrances and discover exclusive lines.
Jovoy Paris and Nose Paris: Perfume boutique stores specialising in niche and artisanal perfumes, providing a distinctive alternative to mainstream fragrances for those in search of something more distinctive.

Electronics

While France might not be the first place that comes to mind for electronics shopping, there’re still deals to be had, especially when you take advantage of tax refunds. Imagine purchasing the latest iPhone 16 Plus priced at 1119 euro in France. By benefiting from tax-free shopping, you can claim back up to 13% VAT of the purchase price with the Wevat tax refund app, putting 145 euro back in your pocket!

Where to buy electronics in Paris

Champs-Élysées: Home to several flagship stores of major tech brands like Apple and Samsung, offering the latest in tech innovations and a convenient shopping experience.
FNAC and Darty: Leading electronics retailers in France offering a wide range of electronic products, from cameras and laptops to home appliances and smartphones, all at competitive prices.

Wine and Champagne

France is world-renowned for its wine and champagne, and Paris offers an excellent selection of fine wines and champagne from various regions. What’s more, wines and champagne are also eligible for VAT refunds if you’ll take them home, with up to 13% back through the Wevat App - a delightful bonus for wine lovers!

Where to buy wine and champagne in Paris

Monoprix, Carrefour and Casino: These French supermarkets are fantastic for finding a wide of French wines at affordable prices, offering everything from everyday drinking wines to more sophisticated choices, making it easy to find a high-quality bottle that fits your budget.
Specialty wine shops: For a more curated wine shopping experience, head to specialty wine shops like Nicolas, La Cave des Papilles, and Lavinia Paris. These stores provide a refined selection of wines and champagnes, and their knowledgeable staff can guide you through the offerings to help you find the perfect bottle.

Chocolates and Macarons

Paris is a true paradise for those with a sweet tooth, boasting countless chocolatiers and patisseries that whip up decadent gourmet creations. Paris’ chocolates and macarons are not only exquisite in flavour but often come at prices that are surprisingly affordable, making it a dream destination for dessert lovers.

Where to buy chocolates and macarons in Paris

Renowned pâtisseries: For an unforgettable macaron experience, make your way to 86 Av. des Champs-Élysées and Ladurée on Champs-Élysées. Famous for the innovative and luxurious macarons, their classic flavours and stunning presentation make them a quintessential Parisian treat, ideal for both personal indulgence and thoughtful gifts.
Charming souvenir shops: Don’t miss Le Chocolat des Français, a unique chocolate shop that combines high-quality products with charming packaging featuring creative French illustrations, like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. It’s an excellent spot to pick up delicious chocolates that double as charming souvenirs, capturing the essence of French artistry and taste.

Cheese and Truffle

No trip to Paris is truly complete without indulging in artisanal cheese and truffles. These gourmet delights are not only more affordable when purchased locally but also showcase a level of quality and authenticity that’s hard to find elsewhere.

Where to buy cheese and truffle in Paris

Traditional brands and markets: Maison De La Truffe is a must-visit for any food lover exploring the city. This charming boutique specialises in all things truffle, offering a stunning array of truffle-infused products, from oils and butters to gourmet salts. Their knowledgeable staff is always ready to guide you through the rich flavors and unique varieties available, ensuring you leave with the perfect addition to your culinary adventures.
Galeries Lafayette food market: Located in the Galeries Lafayette department store, this food market is another gourmet paradise for cheese and truffle lovers. It features a wide selection of artisanal cheeses and premium truffles, from aged Comté to luxurious truffle-infused creations. The lively atmosphere enhances the experience, making it an ideal spot to sample and buy high-quality French delicacies.

Maximise Your Shopping with the Wevat Tax Refund App

To make the most of your shopping spree in Paris, don’t forget to take advantage of claiming your VAT refunds, available to non-EU residents (including those travelling from the UK due to Brexit).

With the Wevat tax-free shopping app, you can save up to 20% VAT on your purchases across all the items listed above — whether it’s that stunning designer handbag from a trendy Marais boutique or a box of macarons taking home to gift a loved one — as long as you get a valid purchase invoice addresseed to Vatcat France.

Plus, there are no minimum spending requirements for each transaction, so you can enjoy shopping at your own pace without worrying about hitting a certain threshold.

When checking out every time you shop, simply ask for a facture (‘invoice’ in French) addressed to Vatcat France at the till — no need to queue at the check out to manually fill out the paper tax refund form by presenting your passport.

Upon departure from France, just scan the refund barcode generated by the app at the self-service tax refund kiosks at your departure points, and off you go — no more hassle with stamping and dropping off paper forms at the airport!

Recap of How to Use Wevat

Follow these five steps to get your VAT back in a simple and fast way with Wevat.

Download the app – make sure you have signed up and have onboarded before visiting the store
Request a ‘facture’ (invoice) - show the ”request an invoice” screen in the app to get a purchase invoice with Wevat company name and address. Make sure the invoice is not addressed to yourself!
Snap your invoice – upload it straight to the app, ideally immediately after the purchase, before you’ve left the store
Generate refund barcode – follow the prompts on the screen to get your digital refund form
Scan and go – visit the tax refund kiosk at your departure point, scan your refund barcode on the Wevat app, and that’s it! Make sure to keep your goods on hand in case customs inspects the goods (in unused and original packaging).

Tips for getting an invoice:

Ask for a “facture” (Invoice in French) with Wevat’s company name and address (Click our mascot on the app homepage to find the “request an invoice” screen. Simply show the screen containing Wevat’s address details to the store staff to get the right business invoice
Avoid requesting a paper tax refund form or mentioning tax refunds in the store, otherwise the sales assistant will issue you a paper tax refund form from a traditional tax

Request an Invoice Screen - Wevat Address

About Wevat App

Wevat - a new digital tax refund app that makes it easy for travellers to save money on their shopping in France! We are a community of people who love travelling, shopping and saving money. Since our launch in 2019, we've helped refund travellers from 88 countries more than €18 million on their shopping!

Compared with in-store VAT refund providers, Wevat gives you up to 23% more VAT back and with no minimum spending requirements on each purchase. With Wevat, you can simply snap a picture of your purchase invoices then generate and scan your barcode when you leave France. There are no paper forms, repeated scanning or dropping off forms required with us. Our super-friendly, multilingual customer support team will be always on hand to support you throughout your trip via our app.

We are fully regulated by both French and UK customs.

Download our app now to start saving money on your shopping in France!

Download Wevat