Hello everyone! Today I’m taking you to Merci on boulevard Beaumarchais in Paris. It’s exactly the sort of shop I can happily lose track of time in, because there is always something new to discover. Even when I need absolutely nothing, I know I’ll browse the clothes, wander through the homeware, flick through the books and probably linger over the notebooks, pens and little gadgets.
Merci is large, always busy, beautifully put together and it smells wonderful. You can go in for a jacket and come out with a lighter, a pair of socks or a book. That’s part of its charm: no single department dominates. You move from fashion to interiors, then jewellery, beauty and stationery without feeling as though you’ve stepped into a completely different shop.
Why I love Merci so much
What I enjoy most is being able to take my time. There is far too much to see for a five-minute dash around the shop. I spend plenty of time looking at the clothes, obviously, but I’m just as drawn to the homeware, design books, disposable cameras and all the small objects you discover as you go.
Merci has also built a proper brand around the shop itself. Its tote bags are instantly recognisable, but there are pouches, socks, notebooks and plenty of other pieces carrying the logo too. I think it’s rather clever that people want to leave with a souvenir of the shop itself.
There is a real mix of prices. Some pieces are expensive, but you can also find a small present or treat yourself without committing to a coat. It’s a brilliant place when you have no idea what to buy someone: there is so much choice that something will inevitably remind you of them.
My reversible Bellerose puffer jacket
This time, I was looking for a warm khaki puffer for winter. Finding one that is genuinely cosy and still has a good shape isn’t always easy, but I came across a Bellerose style and loved it straight away.
It’s reversible, so technically I’ve got two jackets in one. It goes with everything and, most of all, the cut is spot on. It has a proper shape rather than simply looking like an enormous winter duvet. It was exactly what I wanted, and I’m so pleased I found it. I already know I’ll live in it over the next few months.
I much prefer discovering a piece like this in a shop to searching for it online for hours. I can try it on, see how it sits and know immediately whether it will work with the clothes already in my wardrobe. That was also what I loved about Pieds Nus in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where I found my Forte Forte leopard coat.
Books, stationery and everything else
I always spend far too long among the books and stationery. I have a weakness for beautiful photography, architecture and design books, as well as notebooks and disposable cameras. They’re exactly the sort of things I end up buying when I only went in to look at a jacket.
I spotted several design books, including titles on Apartamento and Dieter Rams. If you read the blog regularly, you already know how I feel about shelves like these. I previously showed you the books I bought at the LUMA Arles bookshop. I’m trying to rein myself in, but there is always another book I suddenly need.
The Used Book Café
My next plan is to settle into the Used Book Café for a few hours with my laptop and work on Minuit d’Orsay projects. It sits at the back of the courtyard, surrounded by books, and it looks like exactly the sort of place I’d enjoy working from.
If you love fashion, beautiful objects, books, or if you are looking for a gift idea in Paris, visit Merci. Simply plan a little time: between the clothes, the house, the stationery, and the coffee, the visit is rarely quick. This time, I left with my Bellerose jacket, but I could very easily have fallen for a book or a notebook.
You already know Merci? Tell me in the comments what you like most about the shop, and especially if you manage to get something out of it without noticing anything!
Merci Paris
111 boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris
merci-merci.com
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