If one of the main goals of your trip to Marseille is a shopping tour, head straight to Saint-Ferréol Street. Here you will find the best stores with designer clothing, shoes, and accessories, as well as two of Marseille’s most popular shopping centers — Galeries Lafayette and Centre Bourse. Prices for branded collections are, to put it mildly, not cheap, but items from previous seasons can be purchased at a 30–50% discount.
The largest shopping center in Marseille, Grand Littoral, is located near the Old Port, on Saint-Antoine Street. It offers around two hundred boutiques and a large grocery hypermarket.
For cheaper items, head to Marseille’s outlets and discount centers. Most of them can be found on de Rome and du Prado streets. A good outlet outside Marseille is the Serravalle Scrivia center.
However, if you read some reviews about shopping in Marseille, you will see that people come here not for branded goods, but for gastronomic souvenirs, Provençal textiles, and fragrant soap.
For example, olive oil and Provençal herbs are best bought at local markets and shops along the waterfront; boat-shaped biscuits — in souvenir shops; the Marseille aperitif pastis — on tap at the Old Port. The best Provençal textiles can be found at weekend fairs on Cours Julien square, while faience tableware and soap are sold in the Le Panier district.
Almost all shopping reviews of Marseille mention handcrafted Santons Christmas figurines. You can buy these statuettes on Neuve Sainte Catherine Street.
