The best department store in Paris is Le Bon Marché. But let’s dig into it.
#1: Le Bon Marché
The city’s oldest department store is also its best. BHV is more practical, Galeries Lafayette more popular — but Le Bon Marché, born in 1852, is the best curated and most inventive, with regular pop-ups spotlighting artists (like Leandro Erlich, invited to meditate upon the Parisian sky), places (like Tokyo), and events (like the summer exodus).
That doesn’t even begin to get into the greatness of its food hall, officially known as La Grande Épicerie de Paris Rive Gauche. Food here is divided into concession — you have your fruit ‘n’ veg, your fish, your cheese, your meat, etc — just as you’d see on a main thoroughfare, but also by nationality. (American students have been coming here for generations in search of peanut butter and PopTarts.) The book selection, as well as women’s clothing (including the only place to get Sézane that’s not a Sézane store) are remarkable.
24 rue de Sèvres, 75007. Metro: Sèvres-Babylone. 24s.com/en-fr/le-bon-marche
For an in-depth consideration of why Le Bon Marché beats Galeries Lafayette for the top spot, see here.
#2: Galeries Lafayettes
Paris’s signature department store. Arrive by metro and your first encounter will be the new, magnificent Wellness Galerie, with a dozen wellness practitioners plying their trades, from yoga instruction and facials to image consultation and manicures. The store is a top attraction come Christmas, when spectacular decorations are hung from the Art Nouveau dome ceiling (see above). 40 boulevard Haussmann, 75009. Metro: Chaussée d’Antin La Fayette. haussmann.galerieslafayette.com
#3: La Samaritaine
Man, this place is a lot. Specifically designed to appeal to top-dollar-spending visitors from the Middle East and Asia, the revamped La Samaritaine is over-the-top opulent. You won’t be surprised to hear that it’s owned by French luxury goods retailer LVMH (of the Louis Vuitton LVs.) Over 48,000 square meters, you’ll find essentially every high-end French brand, plus a Cinq Mondes-branded spa, a 72-room, five-star hotel (sample room rate: $2600/night), and more (if you’re rich enough to afford it). Ironic considering that in its original state, the store was designed to appeal to working-class Parisians. That…is no longer the case. 9 rue de la Monnaie, 75001. Metro: Pont-Neuf.
#4: Printemps
The last of the four big names, with a tremendous beauty section. It’s also next-to-last on the list for us—except for the expansive roof terrace, which is glorious in good weather. 64 boulevard Haussmann, 75009. Metro: Chaussée d’Antin La Fayette. printemps.com
#5: BHV
For many years, BHV was a reliable #2 — that is until they welcomed ultimate trash-fashion retailer Shein to its sixth floor. Soon after, they entered into a top-to-bottom renovation that has half the store looking like a warehouse and the other half somehow emptier and sadder. The real crime, though, was the first one — and it seems somehow that the reorganization, ongoing through September 2026, is a karmic payment for letting Shein set up shop.
What do French retailers stand for when they (ahem) fall for this? Not beauty, not tradition, not rigor — just cash. A covenant between the retailer and its shopping public has been broken. Maybe it’ll feel different, once the renovations are done and Shein is long gone, but until then, it is banished.
52 rue de Rivoli, 75004. Metro: Hotel de Ville. bhv.fr
If you’re doing additional shopping in Paris, these are our picks for the best women’s shops, beauty shops, and bookstores.
