The French Riviera is the ideal place to visit beautiful seaside towns, to walk or cycle along the coast or to laze on some of the most beautiful beaches and coves in France. There is also another very pleasant reason to come to the French Riviera and enjoy the blue sky: shopping! During the holidays, browsing the ready-to-wear, cosmetics, concept stores and other shops featuring local products are real moments of pleasure that you want to enjoy with friends or just the two of you. With an ideal location along the Mediterranean Sea, a shopping session can be punctuated by a gourmet moment with a view and even a refreshing swim! Here are 10 reasons to go shopping on the French Riviera
Enjoy a shopping + beach day
Shopping is one of the activities we like to enjoy on vacation, especially in the summer, a time of year when we especially want to take the pressure off and have fun. The Côte d'Azur is full of beautiful towns and large shopping malls overlooking the blue sea, and this is a real advantage for those who want to vary the pleasures of a shopping session. For example, Nice and its surroundings are a great place to go shopping with friends, like the CAP3000 shops in Saint-Laurent-du-Var, which offer the possibility to reach the beach in just a few seconds. And quite honestly, what could be more exciting than to end a stroll in the shops with an invigorating swim, that's what Mediterranean-style shopping is all about!
The presence of the biggest French and international brands
Shopping on the French Riviera is also the pleasure of finding the greatest French and international brands. In the most remote places in France, it is not always easy to find your favourite brands. This is not the case along the Mediterranean and on the Côte d'Azur, where large cities and shopping centers showcase the most reputable brands. The other advantage is that there is something for every budget, with brands that offer affordable prices, but also those specializing in luxury. Clothes, decoration, leather goods, cosmetics, there is nothing left to do but enjoy yourself
Discover shops that showcase local know-how
Taking advantage of the biggest brands is one thing, and discovering local know-how is another. On the Côte d'Azur, shopping is also an opportunity to take an interest in craftsmanship. Just a stone's throw from the beaches, you can go behind the scenes of the artisans who make unique products. How not to mention the perfumes of the great houses of Èze or the shops with the intoxicating scents of Provençal soaps. Donkey's milk or goat's milk, shopping on the Côte d'Azur allows you to discover the properties of products that help you take care of yourself. Not forgetting the art glassware in Antibes or the famous sandals of Saint-Tropez
Visit the largest shopping mall with sea view
What if a getaway on the French Riviera was an opportunity to visit the largest shopping centre with a sea view? In Saint-Laurent-du-Var, it's a truly exceptional space that offers visitors a unique shopping experience. A surface area of 135,000 m² to indulge in the finest brands, and where you can take a break for a drink or a meal in the bars and restaurants of CAP3000. Not just any bar and not just any restaurant, a panoramic terrace with a sea view is always a pleasant place to sip a cocktail, as well as a dinner by the beach. The place also puts in place various animations to spend an unforgettable moment. Shopping, catering, music, beach, it is a 100% holiday atmosphere that is proposed
Take advantage of the flavours and the big Italian brands
The Côte d'Azur is at the gates of Italy, and the influence is felt as much in the architecture of the cities as in the products that are promoted. Of course, France's large Mediterranean cities have their own identity and character, but neighbouring Italy is given pride of place in certain shops and restaurants. For all those who would not have the opportunity to cross the border during a holiday on the French Riviera, it is possible to find the big Italian brands on the coast, clothes, shoes, the reputation of Italians is well established in the fashion world. As for gastronomy, shops specializing in Italian products and restaurants are pleased to present the best of Italian cuisine: pasta, pizzas, risottos, lasagnes, la dolce vita can also be found on the French Mediterranean coast
Stopping at designer shops
For those who wish to discover something different from the big names during their shopping sessions on the Côte d'Azur, designer boutiques are springing up all over the place. This is particularly the case in Nice, where original boutiques are enjoying great success. They make neighborhoods more dynamic and for vacationers, it's a way to discover another facet of the fashion world, one where people prefer to consume products made by local designers. Clothes, decoration, shopping on the French Riviera is also an opportunity to come back home with unique, original products and thus to stand out from the crowd
Stroll through the best concept stores
Concept stores are on the rise all over France and it is true that these original shops have everything to seduce. First of all, because they showcase a wide variety of products and original creations. On the Côte d'Azur too, there are many concept stores, in Marseille, Nice, Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Antibes and Cannes. Between two swims, don't hesitate to stroll through the addresses and indulge yourself with clothes, objects, tableware, furniture and other jewellery. Concept stores are very pleasant, well-thought-out and well-appointed shops; and on the Mediterranean coast, they take on an even more poetic dimension.
Enjoying a sunny aperitif in front of the Mediterranean Sea
A shopping afternoon is always more pleasant when you can end with an aperitif with a view of the sea. On the French Riviera, after browsing the shops in the large shopping centres or town centres, it is always very easy to find a bar by the sea to settle down, order a glass of wine or a cocktail and simply enjoy a unique setting. To have an aperitif facing the Mediterranean is to wait for the wonderful moment of the sunset on the sea, while tasting local products such as a good tapenade. The bars offer aperitif boards, tapas, and the aperitif is a delicate highlight to a day that you never stop enjoying
Bringing all your senses to the boil
To sum up the pleasures of shopping on the Côte d'Azur, one could simply talk about the fact that every sense is fulfilled. While shopping, it's the pleasure of touching materials and the contact of new clothes on the skin. In perfumeries, soap and candle shops, it's the smells of Provence that intoxicate the nostrils. And what about the pleasure of seeing, looking at the products and contemplating the unique setting offered, the architecture in harmony with the sea, never far away? At noon or in the evening, it is hearing and taste that are the focus. To the happiness of hearing the sea is added the peaceful moment of enjoying a drink around some Mediterranean flavours
Combine shopping and family entertainment
In the south of France, a morning or afternoon shopping trip can be a delicious family moment. Indeed, you should not forget to find out about the cultural and entertainment programme, as it is not uncommon for the large shopping centres on the Riviera to offer sports and musical events that can be enjoyed in the evening. After a morning in the shops, a nice way to complete the day is also to go directly to the beach and enjoy some water sports. Towed buoy, jet-ski, stand up paddle, there are a thousand ways to combine shopping, entertainment and activities on the amazing French Riviera
More information on the CAP3000 website.
