Do's and Don'ts: Holiday Shopping

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Christmas Shopping in Paris: The Worst Time to Shop

I made the huge mistake of procrastinating buying my christmas gifts. And I made the bigger mistake to go shopping on a weekend! And because of it, I have seen some scary things. I thought the two hour line at target during Black Friday was bad. But no, that was just pre-gaming compared to this depth of hell. And what I learned from that experience is to never do it again. But for those of you who are little dare-devils, here are some do's and don'ts of holiday shopping in Paris.

Don't

Don't go on a Saturday. People work a lot in Paris, which means that they only have Saturday and Sunday to shop. And most stores are closed on Sunday, with a few offering additional Sunday hours only during the holiday extravaganza. So everyone and their mother shows up on one of the few Saturdays in December. And of course everyone procrastinated as much as I did. So avoid going on a Saturday of you'd like to keep your sanity, and maybe a little patience, for a few hours.

Do

Go at an obscure time. Even if you have to brave the dirty looks because the shop owners want to close early, that option is better than the Saturday.

Don't

Don't separate a mama bear from her cubs. Even if those lovely little angles are trying to break free from their leash, stay clear! You will get pushed out of way, which may result in a boob punch or a lovely stomp on the foot. I know it must be hard for parents to have to bring their kids, so if you see a child, maybe go and look in a different aisle that is child free to preserve some of your foot function.

Do

Watch out for carts. Carts are a death trap for your feet! Make sure to have your own as a barrier between your feet and the others. I felt like it was a game of Mario cart with people cutting in front of each other so abruptly. So beware of the hazardous shopping carts.

Don't

Don't be insulted by their rudeness when asking for directions. If you get lost in a store, you're going to have to ask for directions. Which means those overworked store employees will have to take time out of restocking to tell you where it is. So they're gonna be rude. So remember they're directing their anger at you but they're not angry with you, or at least not a lot. So ignore the rudeness that you will get.

Do

Remember you're a paying customer and a human being. So as frustrating everything is, or in my case unbelievably overwhelming, remember that everyone around you are people reacting to the chaos of the situation. Maybe they're not reacting in a calm or polite manner, but they too are a human being. And so are you, so don't be afraid to stand up for yourself, just don't go too crazy.


But my biggest advice of all is avoid this fiasco at all costs. Really, unless it's small little shops. But the second you get to a department store, run for the hills and consider some other time or way to go shopping.