Bordeaux Shopping

Bordeaux is a shopping heaven: Not only are there the well-known brands but also very many smaller shops with their own independent collection. You can get literally everything in the streets in the city centre: rue Ste. Cathérine is the 2km long pedestrian zone with the majority of the larger chains such as H&M, Fnac, Galeries Lafayette, C&A etc. while the smaller shops are often in the streets nearby.
Records and CDs can be bought at "Total Heaven" on rue Candale, "Maisons du Monde" on rue Ste. Cathérine offers interesting designer furniture and a very packed place close to the quais offers kitsch and antiquities of all sorts. For books, you must not miss "Librairie Mollat", one of France's largest and best book shops, located on rue Vital Carles.

What to buy: literally everything

What to pay: During the long "sale season" less than elsewhere - and compared with English prices, those in Bordeaux are generally lower

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A chapellerie is the store of a hatter. In the States these stores have almost disappeared (trucker hats are sold with sporting goods etc). I could not resist going in and asking for a Frech beret. I was informed that these are not made any longer but was offered a selection of tams, but not made in France. I bought two stylish ones of the finest Irish wool. (The picture of me in one with my brother is the 60year later version of us in the shot on my homepage (my mother being long deceased). I have searched for a beret but never found one. Do they exist? Not that I would wear one, I have had enough grief with the tams. They are now well used by my son whose hobby is clowning.

What to buy: Men's hats. That is all they sell in this store.

What to pay: 20 to X Euro

When you want to bring home a souvenir, Bordeaux is full of shops and boutiques where you can find the perfect remembrance of the city. There are many markets throughout the city. One of Bordeaux’s oldest is the Grands Hommes. Serving customers since the 19th century, this building houses a traditional market on the first floor where visitors can buy fish, fruit, vegetables, and flowers. The second floor is filled with boutiques. Another place to shop is the rue Sainte Catherine. This is one of the longest streets in Bordeaux and is home to a variety of unique stores and shops. If your looking for luxury, the shops in the Golden Triangle are sure to have what you need. This is a triangle of streets linked by the cours de l'Intendance, the cours Georges Clemenceau, and the allées de Tourny.

Sunday all shops and supermarket is closed....

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Rue Sainte-Catherine is an amazing shopping street, completely straight and over 2km long, filled with all sorts of shops and cafe's, from Galeries Lafayette to small friendly bars. At the north end of rue Ste-Catherine is Bordeaux's Grand Theatre and Tourist Information Office. At the very south end is the arch of place de la Victoire. The small shops and bars get more frequent at the studenty south end but, for the majority, it is a regular shopping street for the Bordelaise. When I was there in July the summer sales had just begun and it seemed almost every other shop was selling clothes at bargain prices.

The rue Ste-Catherine is most useful to get your bearings. If you get lost sooner or later you will find yourself on or near it!

I stopped for refreshments at several points on the rue during my stay. La Maison du cafe (opposite Galleries Lafayette) was friendly and great for people watching. Bar Tom Pruce at the southern end was better still for watching the shopping crowds. At the very top, opposite the Theatre, is a cafe/patissirie selling jumbo chocolate croissants ....yum!!

Situated right beside the wine museum in centre of city is an incredible wine shop with a small spiralling staircase going all the way to the top. As you go up, so do the prices.

What to buy: If you like wine this shop is an absolute must - you will find every type of obscure bordeaux wine and at great prices compared to home. They will even pack in wooden crates to protect wine for you in transit

In the height of summer in France, the sales begin. Soldes Monstres!! read the sign which screamed at me from just outside the airport. Everything in France appears to be reduced just before Bastille weekend up to 60%. Clothes to bathroom fittings are all slashed in price to encourage shoppers into a spending frenzy similar to the January sales in the UK. Well worth snapping up a bargain if you are there. The main shopping street is the Rue de Catherine running from the Grand Theatre to the Place de la Victoire. Supposedly this is the longest shopping street in Europe, and it certainly gets busy on Saturday during the sales. Bear in mind that on Sunday pretty much everything is closed.

Occupies a full block in one of the busiest streets of Bordeaux

Huge range, with english/german/spanish books available too.

What to pay: Books have a fixed price in France : only a 5% max discount is allowed, and usually given in the big bookstores

Just minutes from place Gambetta, there's the only covered shopping place in the center.

You can find there clothing, 2 sporting good shops, and more interesting for the long-term residents, an hypermarket : Auchan.
It's the cheapest in town, as far as I know.

Shops close at 8pm, Auchan at 10pm. Closed sundays.

What to buy: Everything :) But at european prices, not that cheap !