shopping at galleries lafayette

Has anyone shopped at galleries lafayette and what is your opinion ?? what do you feel is grossly overpriced and what a good value..I am mainly looking for fragrence,gifts for people back home..thanks ,Loretta

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Prices at Galeries Lafayette are typical department stores prices.

Many brands and styles are represented but it is definitely not a budget store.

Try to consolidate all your purchases in one day to benefit from the Duty free refund

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I have been there, but never shopped there. I can never actually FIND anything

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I agree. It%26#39;s pretty much the same old thing. BHV and even Monoprix are now owned by the mother corporation of GL and they%26#39;re slowly morphing into the same store but under different names. This week BHV opens their huge men%26#39;s store and at the same time downgrades their famous basement bricolage department. To us, the saddest result is the demise of the adorable little café bricolage under the stairs in the basement where we%26#39;ve enjoyed a thousand cafés. It will disappear in June.

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We went to Galleries Lafayette during our week in Paris in November (Thanksgiving Week). We awent to see the Christmas Decorations and let the kids have some breathing room from museums. Galleries Lafayette was extremely crowded. However, my 16 year old son did get a great pair of Vans that we still have not seen in Texas.

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The problem with GL, to which Wizard alluded, is that it%26#39;s nearly impossible to find anything. You can%26#39;t go to the store with a plan to buy a black v-neck sweater, because there is really no such thing as a %26quot;sweater department%26quot; with all the v-neck sweaters on the same shelves. You have to go check the Dior section to see what black v-necks are offered. And then you go to Façonnable. And then Sonia Rykiel (of course, she never makes anything in black, so you won%26#39;t find it there, anyway). It can take all day to make one simple purchase.

Printemps (at least the men%26#39;s store) is a bit easier to navigate, because they organize the store so that each floor has a different aesthetic (cutting edge city wear on one floor; elegant business attire on another; casual clothes on another, etc.).

I%26#39;m looking forward to the menswear store at BHV, but I didn%26#39;t realize the plans for the hardware department. Aside from Brico Café, Metromole, what are the changes?

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%26gt;%26gt; To us, the saddest result is the demise of the adorable little café bricolage under the stairs in the basement where we%26#39;ve enjoyed a thousand cafés. It will disappear in June. %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

Is NOTHING sacred? This is, in its own way, as sad a passing as the loss of the Samaritaine%26#39;s rooftop café...

Ah well, plus ça change and où sont les neiges d%26#39;antan and other similar philosophical musings...

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Thank you all for your responses..Do any of you have a favorite department type store to shop.Running around the whole place is a definate turn off.Would much rather spend my time having lunch in the Luxenbourge Gardens...

So happy I posed the question..You have saved me a frustrating couple hours... merci beaucoup...Loretta

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C%26amp;A or TATI.

Both are more practical (and slightly downmarket). C%26amp;A is surprisingly good quality and value (Mrs Wiz swears by their black woollen slacks), and TATI is....... I dunno - would mad be unfair?

TATI rarely gets mentioned in here, which is a pity. Think along the lines of Chartier for clothing as far as organisation and asthetics is concerned. I have had some great bargains there, and they always seen to manage to have at least one totally impractical, wierd and ugly item that makes me want to reach for the wallet.

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I felt like GL was too expensive for me. We found some very nice fragrances and gifts at Sephora and they wrapped them so beautifully - free.

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if you take your passport to the service desk, they will give you a percentage off coupon on your purchases. I do this every time I go to the Galleries Lafayette. They also have some kiosks outside the store that are reasonably priced.