A shopping Extravaganza

Paris. The city of lights, romance – and, of course, shopping. All of this makes Paris my home away from home. Although the shopping part usually turns out to be a costly affair and, as has happened to me before, an overweight affair too, when I leave my beloved city with double the amount of luggage I arrived with. My most recent visit to Paris was no exception – in fact, it turned out to be one of the most memorable shopping extravaganzas of my life.

when the shopping bug bites, it bites hard. It is precisely because of this that Chic outlet shopping created luxurious shopping meccas around the world – these retail havens are shopping villages located in 11 highly soughtafter destinations across Europe and China, situated on the outskirts of some of the most fashionable cities in the world. Defined by leading brands, these open-air locations offer an enticing alternative to large, bland malls, overcrowded markets, and insanely expensive shopping houses. Each of the Chic outlet shopping villages is designed to present a cluster of the best outlet designer stores, cafés, and restaurants, with all the well-known brands offering the same quality products at more affordable prices. All the brands offer year-round savings of up to 60 % in Europe and up to 75 % in China on the recommended retail price.

one of these villages, la Vallée Village, located just outside of Paris, had been on my bucket list for a long time. what better way to experience it than with a private chauffeur service? This is a sublime offering from Chic outlet shopping that makes for a truly luxurious day out. other guest services include your own personal stylist to assist you in achieving the perfect look, and a Handsfree shopping option which means you can shop to your heart’s content without lugging around heavy bags.

My chauffeur collected me from my hotel in Paris and off we went to La Vallée Village for my day of retail therapy. la Vallée Village is a short 35-minute drive from the city centre, and only a five-minute drive from Disneyland Paris. If a private chauffer is not for you, La Vallée Village is also serviced by a shopping Express coach from the city centre, and you can travel by train from anywhere in Paris to Vallée train station, located on the doorstep of la Vallée Village.

with over 110 world-famous brand boutiques and a bustling gallery space exhibiting fashion-related art, style is everywhere. Despite its expansive size, the atmosphere is intimate thanks to the low-rise buildings and cobbled streets, reminiscent of a quaint, historical village. During my visit in the middle of summer, there were huge discounts on offer from various luxury brands, especially on winter clothing. Even the wellknown French designers such as sandro, Eric Bompard, longchamp, and Vanessa Bruno had items on offer at affordable prices.

I simply could not resist a few pairs of fabulous Italian-made shoes from salvatore Ferragamo, luxury items from Versace and Maxmara, as well as a beautiful cutlery set from Villeroy & Boch complemented with some stunning glassware from lalique. The best part is that I could justify my purchases thanks to some amazing discounts.

since there is more pleasure in giving than receiving, I surprised my partner with some stylish shirts and pullovers from Tommy Hilfiger and Armani, and for my son, who was patiently waiting for us back home in south Africa, I picked up some hip items from Polo, Hugo Boss, and Calvin Klein at an absolute steal. Thank goodness starbucks was close at hand to supply me with a caffeine fix between shopping rounds.

My day of retail therapy at la Vallée Village turned out to be as enjoyable as it was memorable. so much so that, again, I boarded the plane home with twice as much luggage than with what I had arrived.

Experience the magic yourself by visiting www.chicoutletshopping.com.