Ultimate Guide to Paris Outlet Shopping, Discount Stores and Sales

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You don’t read much about Paris outlet stores and fashion discount shopping, but surprisingly they do exist and bargains can be found right in central Paris.

I wanted to write this post because everything I researched on Paris outlet shopping brought me to one resource– La Vallee Village, an outlet center outside of Paris. And while La Vallee Village might have great shopping, on this short visit to Paris, I just couldn’t justify taking a day out of my Paris vacation to leave the city to shop.

Fortunately, on my last trip to Paris I learned that you don’t have to leave Paris or even go out of your way to hit some amazing Paris outlet stores and find shopping bargains. In the course of sightseeing and strolling Parisian streets, I stumbled upon multiple fashion outlet stores right in the heart of Paris.

We found Paris outlet stores by keeping an eagle eye out for shopfront signage with key words like “outlet” and stock”

For bargain hunters like me, finding Parisian outlet and discount stores is kind of critical because i) Paris fashion, while gorgeous, is crazy expensive  and ii) sales in Paris (called les soldes) are scarce, occurring only twice a year.

As a lover of Parisian fashion, but on a limited blogger budget, I made it my mission to figure out the deal was with the Parisian discount shopping scene. In this post:

• First I address common questions I had (and likely you have) about Paris discount shopping
• Second, I provide a photo walk through of Parisian outlet stores I visited on this trip, along with a list of other outlet stores that I didn’t make it to, but looked like they might be worth a visit.

Part I: Paris Discount Shopping Q&A

What’s the Deal with the Twice-Yearly Sales in Paris Stores (les soldes)?

From what I’ve read online, in France (not just in Paris) sales are actually state regulated and only happen twice a year. In the summer, the Paris sales/les soldes start around the end of June, just before Parisians take their annual extended summer vacation.

In the winter Paris sales start shortly after Christmas, around January 10 or so. Paris winter and summer sales run for about six weeks each, with prices getting progressively cheaper as the period runs by.

In large Parisian department stores like Printemps, don’t expect constant sales like we see in the United States. Sales happen only twice a year.

I really tried to find out what it was like to actually shop these twice yearly sales. But online “advice” was super generic and clearly written by people who had never attended a sale and knew nothing about shopping (e.g. beware the crowds!).

Unfortunately I haven’t been in Paris during these time so I can’t shed light on whether it’s actually worthwhile to visit Paris expressly to shop the summer and winter sales or not or not, but if you have, please share your wisdom in the comments!

Finally, while everything I read indicated sales only happen in Paris twice yearly, I’m not sure how accurate that is. I visited Paris the first week of December 2017 and encountered several “liquidation” and “les soldes” signs, so I can’t tell if certain kinds of sales are allowed year round or not.

Update: a reader helpfully shed some more light on the sales: “French stores cannot have sales like American ones….except twice a year. Any other times, price lowering can be done but must STAY lowered (not down one week and back up the next, like in the US).

So there will be Soldes and Liquidations signs but those prices will not go back up….what goes down, stays down. So they are more like clearance sales.”

I took this photo the first week of December, 2017– outside of the customary Parisian twice yearly sales period. Note the prominent “liquidation” signage.

Are there off price discount stores like TJ Maxx in Paris, France?

Maybe.

Back home in New York, in addition to outlet stores and sample sales, I also shop off price stores like TJ Maxx. My friend who came to Paris with me has a TJ Maxx obsession.

So it was only natural that we searched for the TJ Maxx of Paris. Afterall, the UK has the equivalent TK Maxx, so it seemed entirely plausible. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any sort of TJ Maxx or equivalent that we could find.

I am updating this post because a reader commented that the chain Tati might be comparable to TJ Maxx, “you never know what you’ll find there; junk mixed with off-season designer stuff, bins to paw through, etc.

Some times you find nothing good, other times great (my experience with TJ Maxx as well). The stores are different from the online presence.”  Thanks for the tip, can’t wait to check it out on my next trip!

Does Paris have thrift stores like Goodwill?

Yes! While vintage shops are sometimes but not always a great deal, and laborious to figure out the “good ones,” thrift stores offer the best bargains. In the Paris thrift store we discovered, I found barely worn Manolo Blahniks on sale for 40 euros, among other things. Read all about it in my last post here.

Emmaus not only provides great prices, but is an amazing charitable organization with works with the homeless.

Is there an outlet mall in or near Paris?

If you google “Paris outlet shopping,” you’ll be directed to articles written about La Vallee Village. La Vallee Village is one of those faux village outlet centers with designer shops (while I haven’t visited, the premise looks very similar to typical outlet stores in the United States).

I scanned the store list at La Village and was impressed that it was mostly French brands, some of which do not have any US outlets. I also liked that the concessions included tempting French favorites Lauduree and La Maison Du Chocolat.

While I wouldn’t mind checking out La Vallee Village on a long stay in the area, I wasn’t interested in dedicating an entire day to shopping outside of Paris. Getting there is a bit of an ordeal.

La Valle Village runs their own express shuttle service which appears to be the best way to get there, but that takes 45 minutes. Add on the time it takes to get to the limited shuttle pick up points, and the better part of your day is pretty much gone.

Despite dedicating an entire blog to travel shopping, I don’t believe in going far out of my way to shop– I try to stick to convenient options that are near sightseeing and places I would go to anyway.

Are there any Stock or Outlet stores in the heart of Paris?

Rue de Sévigné in the Marais has several women’s fashion outlet shops mixed in with standard stores. It’s a picturesque street worth a stroll (with a delicious crepe restaurant), not far from Place do Vosges.

Now we get to the question that I haven’t seen answered anywhere else. Yes, outlet stores do exist in the heart of Paris, conveniently in the shopping district (and adorable neighborhood of) the Marais.

Our airbnb was located in the Marais (an area I highly recommend to stay in, to get a $40 discount on your first Airbnb stay, click here to use my referral).

My favorite part of staying in the Marais was wandering the picturesque streets. We used no map or shop lists– in the course of our ambles we started to notice certain shops had signage “outlet” or “stock” (how outlet stores are usually designated in France).

We found some outlet stores that were brand specific, others that carried multiple brands. A high concentration of outlet stores happen to be in the Marais, though through further research I found some outlet stores in other locations as well.

These Paris Outlet Stores are all in the Marais and within easy walking distance of each other:

L’Habilleur

It was hard for us to miss L’Habilluer, as it was half a block from the Airbnb we rented in the Marais. Nothing on the outside of the shop indicated this was an outlet store, but as we went inside in search of gloves, it was clear that L’Habilleur is an off-price/outlet store.

L’Habilleur is a lovely store, full of high quality and well curated fashion merchandise from multiple European brands. There were separate rooms for men and women’s fashions. I recognized a few of the brands (I was thrilled to see cast offs from Avoca, an Irish shop that I wrote about here). Prices were about 50% off.

The elegant shopfront of L’Habilleur Paris, in the Haut Marais.

We checked out the gorgeous cashmere gloves at L’Habilleur, marked at 50% off.

Discount Cashmere gloves at L’Habilleur, Paris in the Haut Marais

Avoca sweaters at outlet prices at L’Habilleur, Paris in the Haut Marais

Shopping at L’habilleur outlet store in the Marais, Paris

The men’s section, outlet prices at L’Habilleur, Paris in the Haut Marais

Shopping at L’habilleur outlet store in the Marais, Paris

Shopping sweaters at L’habilleur outlet store in the Marais, Paris

Batgain Shopping at L’habilleur outlet store in the Marais, Paris

Sandro Outlet Store (Stock Sandro)

Back home in New York, I love scouring department store sale racks for Sandro pieces. Sandro feels like classic French with a twist and never too trendy.

Sandro prices are pretty reasonable even at full-price, so discounts make them very affordable. We almost missed this outlet store in the Marais, assuming it was a regular full-price Sandro.

Sandro outlet/stock store in the Marais, Paris

Cute dresses at the Sandro outlet in Paris

Coats at Sandro outlet Paris

Claudie Pierlot Outlet Store, Paris

The Claudie Pierlot outlet is all about chic French staples like peter pan collars and breton shirts. Prices are fair, nowhere near high end designer prices. Very affordable with discounts of 30-50%. We eyed the gorgeous coats here.

The entrance to Claudie Pierlot outlet shop in the Marais, Paris

Shopping the beautiful classic Parisian women’s fashions at the Claudie Pierlot outlet in the Marais, Paris

Chic Parisian dresses at the Claudie Pierlot outlet in Paris.

Even the scarves and accessories were gorgeous at the Claudie Pierlot outlet in Paris.

Shopping the Claudie Pierlot outlet in Paris and finding huge discounts on women’s fashion.

Shopping tfor bargains at the Claudie Pierlot outlet in Paris.

La Piscine Bourgeois Outlet Store Marais

13 Rue des Francs Bourgeois Right near Place de Vosges

La Piscine Bourgeois Outlet Store Marais has discounts ranging from 30-50% off high end designers. Construction blocked the entryway here.

Unique designer pieces at big discounts at La Piscine Bourgeois Outlet Store Marais

Discount designer Dresses at La Piscine Bourgeois Outlet Store Marais

An overview of the store, La Piscine Bourgeois Outlet Store Marais

Signs note the prices at La Piscine Bourgeois Outlet Store Marais

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Loads of designer clothing to look through.

Handbag at La Piscine Bourgeois Outlet Store Marais

Other Outlet Stores in the Marais

Because of time constraints (and also the fact that we sometimes walked by at night when the stores were closed) we didn’t go into every outlet store we came across. Here are some others (at least as indicated by the “stock” or “outlet” designation on the window).

My list is by no means comprehensive, so if you know of other outlet stores to add, please let me know!

Valentine Gauthier Stock

58 Rue Charlot, Paris

We didn’t go in this shop in the Haut Marais down the block from our b and b as it was closed, but I did snap a photo of the shopfront. I assume “stock” means outlet.

French Outlet and Stock Stores in other Areas of Paris

I did not check any of these out, but from what I could gather these outlet shops also exist.

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