Paris Handbag Shopping

[PenguinLove1]

Off to Paris shortly, budget up to 2k, i like brands like LV, Gucci, YSL

would like to buy something from a french brand

any recommendations? I like colour, top handle and crossbody bags, dont need a tote bag

Polène?

You'll not get much at the brands you mention, especially as the exchange rate is so poor. On the upside, you do get it duty free. Ask wherever you buy it from about detaxe. It's a fairly simple process.

Yes Polene is a good shout. It’s much cheaper than the other brands suggested, but you can only get in France (other than mail order) it is waaaay cheaper buying there than ordering online. You do have to queue for up to an hour to get in the store though!

Gucci is Italian. Polene is essentially high street. Hardly LV!

Just a heads up that some stores insist on you having your physical passport for detaxe. I’m sure you’ve planned ahead but a card like Monzo / revolution also stops you losing additional money on bank charges.

Enjoy your shopping and your purchase. Remember to get the tax refund info scanned before security at the airport.

But it’s typically French in that there are no stores outside of France in Europe. Might be one in NY. So it’s a good chance to get one in Paris. And I do think their designs are very cute, even if they are a much lower price point.

@Bimblesalong We did tax at Gare du Nord. Not sure shop had to do anything but provide a receipt.

@Verite1 Quite a few brands are French and don’t sell in uk but the op seemed to want a big designer brand that is sold in the uk and all over the world.

Recently, I’ve had to provide passport details and am issued with a tax refund form as well as a receipt.

Polène has a branch in Regent St!

Oh so it has now! I was in the Paris branch in April 2024 and they said they were going to open one in London, but I hadn’t seen that it had occurred. Can’t believe I haven’t noticed it yet!

There’s a Polene on Regent Street

You can get various of the YSL bags at that 2k price point. I found in Paris some shops returned the VAT upon purchase so you didn’t have to claim back elsewhere

Sorry to hijack OP but can someone please help me understand how much of a saving I could get if I buy an LV bag in Paris vs London, as a UK citizen? I’ve been thinking about one for a long time and sometimes go to Paris for work.

@NewMe2024 sort yourself out a Monzo or revolut card so you don’t pay additional fees. If you look at the LV website, you can change the location to France and this will show you the prices in euros. The bags are usually cheaper in France than the UK as a starting point (once the euro to pound conversion is done). You would ask for detaxe in the shop and present your passport for them to take the details. Before going through security, you’ll need to have the forms scanned - this is usually now at a little machine rather than by a person. Opt to have the refund back onto a card rather than in cash. I think you usually save an additional 10 or 12% or so.

I’ve recently bought a lovely scarf abroad and the tax refund was in my account within a week.

A couple of the shops in Paris will also stamp your bag for you. I had my initials put on one in the Bon Marche branch but I assume that main branches will also do this.