Supermarché: My First Paris Grocery Experience

Auchan, popular grocer in France

LA VIE: I have to admit, America spoiled me on one-stop shopping and mega strip mall conveniences. Being able to buy groceries, tires, books, and get your nails done in one giant strip of land has its benefits! 

Shopping in Paris is more of an “experience” than a destination. It’s casual, relaxing (unless you’re going to Galeries Lafayette… then it’s a mad house), and… wait, who am I kidding? It can take ALL DAY! Paris does have grocery stores and other department themed stores (example: BHV, Le Bon Marche) but Paris takes pride in its reputation of having lovely cheese shops, great smelling bakeries, and other small businesses/boutiques. 

Three things you must have in order to shop in Paris:

• Patience… no need to rush. You wait your turn, enjoy the moment and deal with it

• A shopping cart/caddie (yes, the one Grandma has)… you need a place to put all the items you purchased and lug them home

• Realistic intentions and plan ahead. Don’t try to purchase a flat panel TV, ice cream, and clothing in one outing.

The first few times I went shopping for groceries, I spent more time comparing the French brands to its U.S. counterpart. I’ve also purchased more than I could carry and didn’t have a cart to wheel the purchases home (which by the way, took me a two weeks to figure out where to buy one).

Aside from my ah-ha “that’s what they call it” moments, I find shopping in Paris to be quite interesting. I don’t have to go far from my flat in the 7th arrondissement to get what I need. The shop owners spend time talking with me (my French is still pretty bad right now). I’ve learned that shopping doesn’t need to be a mad dash to get a long list of items done… it can be an enjoyable experience as long as I plan my day!

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