Paris is considered to be a symbol of a grand and luxurious life. Parisians go shopping not necessarily to buy anything. It's a kind of a nice pastime. Parisians adore to go to the boutiques, to enjoy the services they offer and to try on the most trendy items of the new collections made by the best fashion masters.
Champs Elysee and Avenue Montaigne are the main shopping streets of the city. The peculiarity of shopping in the French capital is the great number of covered galleries, which host numerous shops of different ranks. Rue Cler is for a shopping of another level. This is a street for pedestrians which is plenty of flower shops and greengroceries.
One of the oldest department stores in Paris is Le Printemps, which was opened in 1864. The Parisians say it's the most visited historical monument of the capital. More than 80 thousand people visit this shop every day. In fact it is a real city, which is divided into three districts. In the old building one can find different goods for the house and in the new one, built in 1920, are concentrated products for women and kids. Men can find everything necessary (as well as unnecessary) in the Brummell shop situated in the most modern building of Le Printemps. This is the first French department store where the goods “for men only” are situated.
All the “districts” of Le Printemps are connected by glass crossings and cover the territory of 50,000 sq m. In the city one can choose something out of 500,000 items as well as visit an exhibition, watch a performance or a movie, listen to classical music, go to the hairdresser's or a massage parlour, get a consultation by a professional stylist or attend fashion showrooms. By the way Le Printemps is not only one of the biggest department stores in Europe but also a founder of its own brands.
The fifth part of the store's turnover is made by the tourists. It's very convenient for the guests of the capital to do the shopping as Le Printemps provides all the necessary information on the location of the different sections. In duty free service department the foreigners can get information on the purchases offered and to take a plan of the shop written in their native tongue.
Le Printemps is famous for its sales. There are usual season sales as well as special “8 golden days” during which one can find yellow stickers on the price tags. Such stickers indicate the lowered price of the good. “8 golden days” are held in autumn and spring and the theme sales take place almost every month. As a rule the shops are open from 9.30 am to 19 pm every day (except Sunday).
Markets and small stores are usually closed on Mondays.
In summer some shops close for vacations.