We don’t often need an excuse to go shopping, but when the chance came to experience the latest shopping phenomenon – shopping tourism we jumped at the chance. Particularly when this involved a cheeky trip to Paris.

Retail safari for consumers
So leaping on to the first flight we simultaneously experienced shopping and a city trip – all curated by our tour guide.  Having completed a quick questionnaire about what we wanted to buy we set off on our secret tour of Paris.  Our guide not only knew Paris like the back of hand, she was also an experienced stylist – so this wasn’t a follow a flag tour – she knew what would suit us and which brands to look at.

With Diana leading the way we discovered stores in Paris we just wouldn’t have found our selves. And in just 3 hours we not only got our 10,000 steps in, we visited 15 of the most unique independent stores Paris has to offer.

Here’s some of the lasting impressions about Shopping tourism in Paris

The cloth bag
By the end of the day we had amassed 10 cloth bags between us – not a bad days hall even by our standard. And every time we were given one it made the purchase feel more special. Especially when they threw in some tissue paper and a little branded card. It really demonstrated the power and role of packaging in the shopper journey.

The joy of shopping
Shopping still remains an inherently social and pleasurable affair – and this experience celebrated all that is lovely about shopping with your friends and family. Gossiping, giggling and sharing an experience in a wonderfully stress free way. The emotion as marketers we are all to quick to forget.

Brand Ambassadors
The other interesting observation was that we certainly felt compelled to spend – having invested 250 euros on the tour (I know its not cheap) you felt as if you had to buy something. And whilst Diana  didn’t encourage any purchase it really feels like a missed opportunity for her and her company. She could have easily acted as a brand ambassador without us really being any the wiser. Yet another channel for marketers to consider.

Café & Vetements
Just to add to the leisurely pace – most of the proprietors also offered café whilst you tried on your clothes or browsed their store – little tranquil places to reflect on your purchases. Whilst this isn’t a new trend it it reinforces our belief that retail spaces must engage with all your senses to be a success.

A delightful day and one we would highly recommend.

Sue Benson
Managing Director

Tour provided by Paris Shopping tours – www.parisshoppingtour.com