Shopping Experience in Paris blog Frenchrealbuzz by Pragya Jain

WANT TO SHOP IN PARIS, BUT NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH?

Shopping is one of those cultural experiences one should experience when traveling to a new country or even more so in France. As you might agree shopping helps deal with stress and bad mood or difficult circumstances in life, it’s undoubtedly a Good Temporary Therapy.

And when shopping then why not in France? We all know how Paris is rich in fashion and luxury if you ever think of buying clothing you’ll definitely dream of Paris and it’s always like that.[

If you ever dream of walking through the fanciest streets in Paris for high-end brands, then Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré is your place! This street is lined with some of the world’s famous luxury brands including Prada, Dior, Chanel, Cartier, and Louis Vuitton.

And it is not for discount shoppers. But it is substantially cheaper to buy luxury products from brands like LV, Dior, or Gucci in Paris, why? because it costs 30% to 40% cheaper than in other countries, especially those outside the European Union.

If you are brand conscious but at the same time feel like wasting money then you got a way to shop! Well, all thanks to Paris and its lower prices, as well as the VAT refund you would be entitled to receive as a non-European Union resident.

Remarkably, the person paying in stores only can request the Tax-Free Form and get the refund. If you have an EU passport you must present the store staff with official proof of residence outside of the EU.

If you are already planning to visit Paris or ever thinking to plan then must try to take advantage of the pieces of information shared with you.

` THAT’S ALL ABOUT SHOPPING IN PARIS`

Now, Let’s see How to Step into the Store!

If you’re shopping in France you need to know the language and vocabulary to communicate with the salesperson of course. The easiest way one could do this is to stick to one shop or market, get into the store, pay for the purchase, and get out of it.

But this may not give you the best quality, the confidence of making the right choice to buy, or even the comfort of bargaining, once in all, you might not be satisfied with the purchase you made because of your lack of knowledge of French and its lingo.

As a French Learner, you are curious to sound like a native, as natural as nature haha hahaha, it happens!

So the first thing first, you could do is just meet & greet, as they say, ” A Little Bonjour Goes A Long Way”. It shows courtesy to the other person and also makes sure you have a pleasant interaction.

Otherwise, it is considered to be extremely rude and may set a bad impression for the rest of the visit. Also, don’t forget to say “Merci or Au Revoir” when you leave the store, it doesn’t matter whether you purchased anything or not.

Please mind the French Shopping Etiquette!

Whether you are shopping for Food, Clothes, or any other necessities and luxury items you must have noticed the differences between your country of origin and France. A few of them are:-

1) STORE HOURS

Every store has different business hours than what you are used to it. So it is advised to be aware of openings and closings of the store as it is unexpected to find a store open 24*7.

2) TTC

It’s an acronym that appears on the receipts and refers to the grand total that you owe for a purchase made. TTC stands for ` toutes taxes comprises which means ~ All Tax Included.

Most prices are quoted as TTC, but not all, so please pay attention to the fine print. If the amount is quoted as HT ( Hors Taxes), then taxes are not included in the given amount.

3) CARRY A BAG

As France is taking environmental steps towards going green, grocery stores no longer offer plastic bags. It is suggested to carry one with you; otherwise, you must pay for the same.

But if you shop from a larger grocery store, you will find the carts in the parking lots.

To have the access to it you need to pay 1 euro coin to unlock it and, when you get the cart back to the same spot you will get a refund of the same amount.

WANT TO SHOP IN PARIS, BUT NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH?

Whether you are shopping for Food, Clothes, or any other necessities and luxury items you must have noticed the differences between your country of origin and France. A few of them are:-

THAT IS ALL FOR THE TOPIC AND NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO SHARE YOUR SHOPPING EXPERIENCE IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN SURPRISED. LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!