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Factory Outlet Shopping Outside Paris
There are now two outlet shopping centers located just outside Paris. When I moved to Paris in 1991, the only outlet centers everyone knew about were located near the small city of Troyes, a good 2-1/2 hours from Paris by train and even longer by car.
Although factory outlet shopping centers have now become more accepted in France, I have found one major difference between France and the US. The French really emphasize name brands ("les marques"). I believe they rely on brands so much because the non-brand clothes and shoes that you find here are often of the worst quality, and, in the case of shoes, can literally destroy your feet (I know from personal experience!). So, each brand tends to handle its own resales and discounting rather than a "mother" store (such as Ross or Marshall's) so familiar in the US. Plus, I find that many of the brands are overpriced in their retail shops, so I only buy their clothes during sales or in an outlet store!
One of the shopping centers at Troyes, Marques Avenue, now has branches all over France, including one just outside Paris with a great collection of French name-brand outlet shops. This includes fashion for women, men and children, shoes, some housewares and leather accessories. The shopping center itself, in true discount style, is a cinderblock bunker, horribly ugly and not at all glamorous, so please don't be disappointed by the exterior or the surrounding neighborhood. But if you're a real discount shopper, like me, you'll actually feel a flash of recognition: "Wow, looks just like the San Fernando Valley (or New Jersey, or ...)! Just like home."
First I’d like to tell you about Bensimon. I found out about this brand from a French friend who managed to get on a list for their private sales. I'm now on the list too, and quite frankly, we go on a twice-a-year pilgrimage (wouldn't want my name to be dropped from the list) to an incredibly plain and ugly warehouse near the Gare de l'Est, with no dressing rooms (this being France, women simply peel off their clothes quickly, in the open, in front of the mirrors). Each sale is more and more crowded as more and more French women discover this brand. The private sales are by invitation only, but the good news for you is that at Marques Avenue there is an outlet store for Bensimon, with a dressing room!
The style of Bensimon clothes is deceptively simple: clean straight lines, both clear pastel and darkish colors, great construction and the most wonderful fabric you can imagine (mostly natural fibers), always with a creative twist. I call it the "French girl next door" look. Most of my knit tops are now Bensimon—they never seem to wear out. It's understated, original and anti-"frou frou", so you have to like that look. I do.
Here is a list of some of the major French name brands for women’s clothes at Marques Avenue, including Bensimon. Click on a name to take a look at its products.
And shoes:
And for kids:
I'm rather proud of myself as I have figured out how to get there using public transportation. As the French say, "ce n'est pas évident" (it's not obvious). However, since there’s really no other way to get there except by car (which I don’t own), where there's a will, there's a way:
From the Metro stop Mairie-de-Saint-Ouen on line 13, you have a choice of 3 buses.
To get to Mairie-de-Saint-Ouen, take the Metro line 13 (direction Saint-Denis-Université) There are 2 end points on this line, so make sure you take the one in the direction of Saint Denis. Once there, I advise you to take the escalator exit.
Bus No. 1: Once you come up to the street level, cross over to the other side of the traffic circle, opposite the Mairie (town hall) to check out the 237 bus (direction L’Ile Saint Denis, Parc Départemental, College Sisley) because, if you take it, you can get off at the stop Centre Commercial right opposite the shopping center.
Buses No. 2 & 3: But the 237 bus doesn’t go that often and sometimes the wait is too long. If that’s the case, with the Mairie to your back, turn right and walk along Boulevard Jean Jaurès to the first major cross street. Go over to the far side and turn left onto Rue Albert Dhalenne, where you’ll find a stop for bus 137 (direction Villeneuve-La-Garenne) and bus 166 (direction Colombes-Aude). Take whichever comes first, and on either bus, get off at the stop Boulevard Marcel Paul. Once you exit, walk back in the direction the bus came from to the riverside, and turn left. Marques Avenue is about a 5-minute walk in that direction, on the left (the only side it can be on since the Seine is on your right).
You can purchase a bus ticket either at a Metro station or directly from the bus driver for under 2€.
Marques Avenue
9 quai du Châtelier
93450 Ile Saint Denis
Website: http://www.marquesavenue.com/l-ile-saint-denis
Telephone: +33 (0)1 4243 7020
Open Monday to Friday 10 am to 7 pm, Saturday 10 am to 8 pm
The second discount shopping center is La Vallée Village Outlet Shopping, just one RER station before Disneyland Paris. It’s much more glamorous than Marques Avenue, but this means that even though prices are discounted an average of 33%, they’re still rather high. So it’s not a place to wander through "just to pick up something." La Vallée is for serious shoppers who demand designer quality and, like Marques Avenue, is organized by brands, each running its own small store.
Some of the better known designer brands are: Cacharel, Kenzo, MaxMara, Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, Givenchy, Diesel, Versace, Valentino, plus Charles Jourdan and Tod’s shoes, Lamarthe hand bags and leather goods, Villeroy & Boch porcelain and Baccarat crystal.
You'll find the "Village" to be one long row of small, separate shops in the open air. If you’re interested in having a stylist advise and help you find your best look, you can reserve one by phoning +33 (0)1 73 02 04 26. The cost for half a day is 150€ and reservations must be made at least 3 days in advance. And remember there’s a tax refund (détaxe) of about 12% when you spend 175€ or more in one store. You need to ask for the détaxe form which you present at the airport as you leave France.
To get to La Vallée Village, take the RER ligne (line) A train, destination Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, or a shuttle service direct from central Paris.
If you take the RER A, the round-trip train ticket will cost 12 euros, and the RER stop is Val d'Europe. Since the RER A train has 2 end points, make sure that the Val d'Europe sign is lit on the panel hanging above the platform. The trip takes about 45 minutes from Châtelet – Les Halles in central Paris.
When you arrive at Val d’Europe, take the Sortie (exit) La Vallée Village. Once you’re out the front door of the RER, during July and August, just to the left is a sign for free shuttle service to La Vallée Village every 15 minutes from the Val d’Europe RER. However, the shuttle driver told me that there would probably NOT be free shuttle service the rest of the year. They’re “thinking about it”, so if you arrive in any other month, you’ll probably have to walk to Le Vallée Village. To do this, once you exit the RER, turn to your right and go to the Val d’Europe Shopping Center entrance. Once inside, walk about 10 minutes - the entire length of Val d'Europe - to reach the Village outlet stores. Stay on level 1 and just keep walking down the main corridor until you come to the FNAC store. Then turn right and you’ll see the exit to the La Vallée shops outside.
There is also the Cityrama Shopping Express Shuttle from Paris which leaves on a daily basis from Cityrama Tour Company, 2 rue des Pyramides, at the Place des Pyramides (Metro Palais Royal or Tuileries on Metro Line 1) at 10:15 am. The return from La Vallée Village is at 3 pm. A round-trip ticket costs 22€, and a one-way is15€. You can buy shuttle tickets at Cityrama until the day before you plan to go.
Or reserve online at:
http://www.lavalleevillage.com/en_GB/plan-your-visit/getting-here#bus-tab
Return tickets from La Vallée to Paris on the Cityrama Shuttle can be purchased at La Vallée Village Welcome Center before 3 pm. The Welcome Center is at the far end of La Vallée if you end up walking there from the RER.
La Vallée Village Outlet Shopping
3 cours de la Garonne 7770 Serris (Marne la Vallée)
Website: http://www.lavalleevillage.com/en_GB/
Telephone: +33 (0)1 6042 3500
Open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm in summer and 10 am to 7 pm in winter; Sunday 11 am to 7 pm.
Jeanne Feldman, an intercultural specialist, was the first to reveal the “shopping etiquette” needed to get the best service in Parisian stores! She now leads unique shopping tours that explore neighborhoods usually “invisible” to tourists. She also develops and leads business communication workshops for both French and English speaking managers who need to communicate internationally by clarifying and then delivering their true message.
Jeanne’s website: http://www.jeanne-feldman.com
If you're traveling to France (or anywhere, for that matter) you can reserve your hotel here. To rent a car, Bonjour Paris recommends Auto Europe.
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