The Quatre Temps shopping mall in La Défense © French Moments
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Last Updated: 29 January 2018

As a tourist in Paris, you’ll become familiar with the city’s iconic monuments, landmarks and museums. You’ll wander around the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, enter Notre-Dame cathedral and the Louvre museum. But when it comes to shopping, many visitors I’ve met over the years had no clue about where to find shopping precinct. This is a list of my top 10 shopping centres in Paris which includes famous department stores and gigantic shopping malls. Follow the guide!


Where to find the top 10 shopping centres in Paris?

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The top 10 shopping centres in Paris are mainly found in the centre and West districts of town. However each arrondissement have one or several shopping precincts where to found grocery and other goods. For example, in the 6th arrondissement, the long straight street of Rue de Rennes is lined with hundreds of shops, from big stores such as FNAC to smaller boutiques.

The map locates the top 10 shopping centres in Paris. I’m adding a small description of the sites just below.


1. Le Forum des Halles (1st arrondissement)

Forum des Halles - the canopy 07 © French Moments
The Canopy of Les Halles, Paris © French Moments

This is France’s second most visited shopping centre with nearly 40 million visitors each year. Inaugurated in 1979 it was greatly refurbished in the 2010s. Today it houses 168 stores spread in 5 levels. The ground floor is topped by a gigantic canopy made of glass.

For more info and opening hours: Official website of the Forum des Halles.

Métro stations : Châtelet, Les Halles, Châtelet Les Halles (lines 1,4,7,11,14, RER A, B and D)


2. Les 4 Temps (La Défense)

The Quatre Temps shopping mall in La Défense © French Moments
The Quatre Temps shopping mall in La Défense © French Moments

Situated in the business district of La Défense just outside Paris, the Quatre Temps is France’s most visited shopping mall with 260 stores (including the CNIT section). It is estimated that 45.7 million people visit the mall. ‘Quatre Temps‘ means Four Times and can also refer to the Four Seasons of the year.

For more info and opening hours: Official website of the 4 Temps.

Métro station : La Défense Grande Arche (lines 1, RER A, Transilien L, Tram T2)


3. Printemps Haussmann (9th arrondissement)

Printemps Haussmann © French Moments
The gilded cupolas of Printemps Haussmann © French Moments

The Printemps Haussmann is a department store (Grand-Magasin) covering an area of 45,000 m2 in 3 buildings dedicated to Fashion (Mode), Man (Homme) and Beauty/Home and Child (Beauté/Maison Enfant). The store is famous for its Art Nouveau architectural style and its Christmas animated windows.

For more info and opening hours: Official website of the Printemps Haussmann.

Métro station : Havre-Caumartin (lines 3,9, connection with RER E and Gare Saint-Lazare)


4. Galeries Lafayette Haussmann (9th arrondissement)

Galeries Lafayette Christmas Tree Paris
Christmas Tree of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann in 2016 © French Moments

Extending over 70,000 m2, Galeries Lafayette Haussmann is Europe’s largest department store. It welcomes more than 25 million visitors per year. The store is famous for its stunning Art Nouveau dome, its panoramic terrace and the Christmas animated windows.

For more info and opening hours: Official website of the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann.

Métro station : Chaussée d’Antin Lafayette (lines 7,9, connection with RER E and Gare Saint-Lazare)


5. Carrousel du Louvre (1st arrondissement)

Inverted Pyramid of the Louvre, Paris © French Moments
The Inverted Pyramid of the Louvre, Paris © French Moments

The Carrousel du Louvre is France’s 8th largest shopping centre in terms of visitor numbers (16.7 million) with only 36 stores… the reason why is quite easy to understand: it serves as one of the Louvre’s entrances. The underground shopping centre also hides the inverted glass pyramid which is invisible from the ground.

For more info and opening hours: Official website of the Carrousel du Louvre.

Métro station : Palais Royal Musée du Louvre (lines 1,7)


6. Beaugrenelle (15th arrondissement)

Front de Seine district © French Moments
The Front de Seine district in Paris © French Moments

Not far from the Eiffel Tower, the Beaugrenelle shopping centre includes 120 stores. It was greatly renovated in 2013, making it Paris’ third largest shopping mall. It is situated in the Front de Seine, a high-rise district built in the 1970s.

For more info and opening hours: Official website of the Beaugrenelle shopping mall.

Métro station : Javel / Javel André Citroën (line 10, RER C)


7. Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville [BHV Marais] (4th arrondissement)

Shopping centres in Paris: BHV Marais © French Moments
BHV Marais at Christmas time © French Moments

With its monumental rotunda facing the Paris City-Hall, the BHV Marais occupies eight floors and was historically focused on BIY and hardware. It was founded in 1856 and it prides itself in being the Parisians’ favourite store!

For more info and opening hours: Official website of the BHV Marais.

Métro station : Hôtel de Ville (lines 1,11)


8. Le Bon Marché (7th arrondissement)

Shopping centres in Paris: Le Bon Marché, Paris © French Moments
Le Bon Marché in Paris © French Moments

This is the world’s oldest department store, founded in 1838 under the name Au Bon Marché. The current building was built in 1869 and was successively enlarged. The Grande Épicerie de Paris offers a wide range of gastronomic produce.

For more info and opening hours: Official website of Le Bon Marché department store.


9. Montparnasse Rive Gauche (15th arrondissement)

Montparnasse © French Moments
Montparnasse seen from the Right Bank of Paris © French Moments

Montparnasse Rive Gauche is situated at the foot of the Montparnasse Tower. It comprises 63 stores on 2 floors, including a Galerie Lafayette store.

For more info and opening hours: Official website of the Montparnasse Rive Gauche shopping centre.

Métro station : Gare Montparnasse (lines 4,6,12,13, transilien N)


10. Centre Commercial Italie 2 (13th arrondissement)

Italie 2 in Paris © French Moments
The shopping mall of Italie 2 © French Moments

130 stores make up the shopping centre of Italie 2 whose main entrance opens onto the Place d’Italie in the 13th arrondissement.

For more info and opening hours: Official website of the Italie 2 shopping centre.

Métro station : Place d’Italie (lines 5,6,7)


And a special mention for a newcomer:

11. La Samaritaine (1st arrondissement)

Samaritaine © French Moments
The Samaritaine department store under renovation © French Moments

Prior to its closure in 2005, La Samaritaine was Paris’ largest department store. Ideally located by the River Seine between the Louvre and Île de la Cité, it was founded in 1869 on the site of a former water pump situated next to the Pont Neuf which was demolished in 1813. The site is currently under development and should re-opened in 2019 or 2020. It will be one of the biggest shopping centres in Paris. More info on the project.

Métro station : Pont Neuf (line 7)

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Gems of Paris by French Moments
About the author

Pierre is a French/Australian who is passionate about France and its culture. He grew up in France and Germany and has also lived in Australia and England. He has a background teaching French, Economics and Current Affairs, and holds a Master of Translating and Interpreting English-French with the degree of Master of International Relations, and a degree of Economics and Management. Pierre is the author of Discovery Courses and books about France.

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  1. Many thanks for this great article about the best shopping centres in Paris.
    I’m glad that the newly re-opened “La Samaritaine” is included in this list as well (most sites don’t mention it yet).
    Perhaps is our online navigation system for the metro (subway) in Paris useful as well.
    https://www.metrocazar.com/paris/

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