I vacationed in Europe from April 27th until May 12th. Throughout these two weeks I spent on average two hours a day shopping and observing trends in these regions. The following report is a breakdown of what I observed.

Paris, France

Paris is known as one of the fashion capitals of the world along with big names such as Milan and L.A and the rumors are 100 percent accurate. From the latest in fast fashion to top of the line luxury brands, Paris has it all.

Where to Shop
Champs-Elysées has always been known as the hot spot for shopping in Paris, comparable to streets such as Rodeo Drive and Fifth Avenue. However, I was sad to see that this formerly famous street was now overflowing with movie theaters, malls and fast food chains, and no longer lines of shops ranging from Cartier to Chaumet. Now, the major spot to shop in Paris is the area around the famous Galeries Lafayette. A block of shops surrounding Blvd Haussmann, this quarter has commercial concentrated shopping with stores such as Zara, H&M, Mango and common European chains. In addition, luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Dior can be found in their own individual stores or in the department stores nearby.

Aside from this district, Paris also has an assortment of boutiques and shops all around the city with the newest trends in fashion in the higher price bracket. These stores contain clothing and accessories from a range of independent designers, as well as an assortment of antique pieces. While shopping in Paris I would have to say these boutiques were my favourite part. Though the luxury brands and commercial stores were very appealing, I was drawn to the one of kind items found at these quiet and quant shops.
Shopping Experiences

While on my trip I analyzed two major stores in Paris: H&M and Galaries Lafayette. The following are anecdotes and brief reports of the stores I visited.

H&M
H&M, originally a Swedish brand, has swept the apparel industry worldwide, with shops all over North America, Europe and Asia . However, as an H&M lover I was very disappointed with my experience in Paris. When I walked into H&M the store was extremely busy. In addition to a huge crowd of people, the layout of the store itself made me feel claustrophobic. The clothes were being thrown around, and rack after rack was being torn apart by the customers. With only one sales person in sight, there was no way this store could have been maintained at 2:00 p.m. on a Saturday.

After about 25 minutes of searching the store to find a top on a display that caught my eye, I finally headed to the changing rooms, dying to end my visit. The line for the woman’s fitting room was very long and took about 20 minutes. When I finally made it to the front I found only one worker cleaning out the change rooms, hanging the clothes back up, ordering desired sizes and showing people to their change rooms. Talk about being overworked and underpaid. No wonder this woman, in her 20s, rolled her eyes at my attempt at French and harshly threw my single item into the change room at the end of the row. After realizing that my rush to get out of the store caused me to pick up the wrong size of the shirt that took forever to find, I peeked out of my changed room to call the service woman. Fifteen minutes later my shirt was tossed over the door of my fitting room landing directly on my head. Great service. Finally, I pushed my way out of there and headed to the cash register. With three cashiers and four times the customers, this took a very long time. Approximately one hour after I entered the store, I left with one item, feeling exhausted, irritated and very disappointed.

All in all, the H&M experience in Paris was awful. While the layout of the store is a common flaw that H&M suffers from in North America as well, I was most surprised by the service and the prices. The poor service seemed to be a reflection of understaffing and low employee moral, a problem that I have not seen in H&M Canada. In addition, the prices of the clothes were sometimes higher. For instance, the top I bought at H&M Paris for 19.90 Euros was $22.90 CDN when found in Canada. When converted I paid approximately $29.00 Canadian at H&M Paris, when I could have purchased the same top in Canada for less. However, when comparing the prices on the web, they cost exactly the same after conversion, giving me the impression that H&M is inconsistent with their pricing in different countries.

In the end, although H&M Paris was such a bad experience, I still adore H&M Canada and I am sure I will continue to shop there. However, for those looking for a place to shop in Paris, steer clear of the H&M and if you want to test your luck, go ahead, but beware.

Galaries Lafayette
Galaries Lafayette on the other hand was a glorious experience. As expected, this store did not fail me. Recognized for its exceptional service and assortment of the most prestigious brands in fashion, Galaries Lafayette was a shopaholics playground.

Upon entering the store, it was equally as busy as H&M, possibly even more, however the chaotic environment was much more organized. The spacious layout of displays and directories of the department store made it easy to get around and waste no time. The set up of the department store is similar to that of Holt Renfrew, dividing brands into mini stores throughout the building. Each brand had its own service representatives, cash registers and fitting rooms, eliminating the waiting time for lines. I went straight for the Chloe section, my all time favourite brand. I picked up a dress and seconds later a sales representative took it off my hands.

After about 15 minutes of browsing I went to the change rooms. There were four rooms for this brand section, but they were all full. So a worker directed me to a nearby change room of another brand that was available. There were mirrors in every stall and a worker standing by (but not too close), incase I needed assistance. Although the clothes were a perfect fit, the prices were not, so I was only able to buy one item. The service representative took my item and held it at the cash while I took another look around the store. When I came back 30 minutes later, my item was waiting for me, bagged and ready to go. Now that is what I call service.

As a whole, the Galaries Lafayette department store is not only a place to shop but also an experience in itself. From its service to its inventory, this department store has mastered the luxury brand market. However, the highlight of this store, besides the designer bags, has to be its center, where shoppers can observe all 10 stories of the store and the breathtaking architecture of Cahnautin, which was built in 1912 . Now classified as a historical monument, this enormous department store has become yet another attraction in Paris that draws in tourist from all over the globe.

The trends
A lot of my time spent in Paris involved people-watching to gain a better grasp on the Parisian lifestyle and fashion industry. By doing this it was quite obvious to me that Parisians know how to dress themselves. Everywhere I looked I saw top of the line brands on men, women and even children. From Armani to Tiffany’s, the people in Paris were walking advertisements of the luxury brand industry. The city screamed fashion.

A major trend that I observed however was that there was an extreme disparity between those dressed fashionably and those not. In North American there are usually three levels of attire. Not fashionable, affordably fashionable and posh fashion. Thus, an individual who is fashion conscious, but does not have the money to spend on high priced brands, can still look stylish by dipping into the lower priced fast fashion stores such as Old Navy and Costa Blanca. However in Paris, there was no such thing as this middle market. The stores were either overpriced and fashionable, or reasonably priced and extremely unfashionable. Providing no medium for those with a lower income. Even stores such as H&M found in the city were higher priced compared to an H&M in Canada or the United States, providing less of a market to lower income individuals.

However, another thing to note is along with higher prices of clothing, Parisians also have a higher average disposable income than that of North Americans. The latest published monthly disposable income for citizens of France was quoted at 1,075 Euros per capita, while in Canada it is at 847.7 Canadian dollars. That translates to 579.9 Euros, resulting in a difference of 495.1 Euros. Thus, allowing for Parisians to afford these higher priced goods, while forcing Canadian tourists to suffer from a severe case of window-shopping.

Another major trend I observed in Paris is that they are ahead of the fashion industry in Canada. This became clear to me when I noticed that all of the items on sale at Parisian shops were similar to the items being showcased in Canada right now. Things such as dress shorts, short shorts, baby doll dresses and bohemian tops were all pushed to the back of the store and reduced down to 50 percent off. In contrast, these very items are the things to have for summer 2007 in Canada.

In Paris, the focus is back to the 70s and 80s. High waist pants, headscarves, long shorts, even bigger sunglasses and wide sleeved dresses and tops. Dresses are still emphasized there, however rather than the basic square cut dress there is a focus on detail, such as frills, elastic hemlines, and crinoline-lined skirts. After a recent look at the summer collections of various stores, I started to see signs of these fashion trends coming to Canada. The major difference is, while Canadians are just starting to see glimpses of these fashions, Parisians are already sporting them.

The reason for this trend can be attributed to various factors. The obvious one being that the designs we find here, are inspired by European fashions. However, it can also be due to the weather. Seeing that France is on average warmer than Canada , the turnover from spring to summer fashions is simply earlier in France. Had Canada gotten warmer first, there is a possibility that these clothes would be seen on Canadians before French shoppers had a chance to get their hands on them.

Lucerne, Switzerland

Where to shop
Lucerne is a city located just west of Zurich in Switzerland. Although not one of the largest cities to visit in Switzerland, Lucerne still inhabits 57, 533 individuals. Shopping is not its forte, however the city still provides many great areas for both locales and tourists to shop. The main shopping area in this city is the old town. Mixed with commercial stores and smaller independent shops, there is something for everyone. Besides this, there are also numerous markets that open depending on the season. Ranging from flower and food markets, to crafts, furniture and clothing.

Shopping Experiences

H&M
While in Switzerland I decided to give H&M another try, as it is one of my favourite stores. This time around, the experience was much more pleasant. I walked into the H&M in the Old Town and once again, as expected, it was packed. However this time, there was a lot more organization. The entrance was not cluttered with racks of sale clothes, nor were people pushing each other over to get the newest handbag. Rather, even at its busiest hour, H&M Switzerland was calm and inviting. In order to accommodate the customers who were soaking wet from the rainy day, this location offered hangers and racks for umbrellas and coats at the front entrance. I found this to be very practical and intelligent on the part of H&M. Not only did this reduce the number of customers dragging their wet clothing into the store, it also increased the comfort level, insuring that customers would be willing to stay in the store for a longer period of time.

The layout of this store differed from that of the average H&M in Canada, as it had an entire floor dedicated to sale items. In addition, this location was only the female H&M line, while the men’s was down the road, reducing the crowd.

I did not purchase many items at this store, as it had similar inventory to that of H&M Canada. However, the service in the fitting rooms was exceptional and the sales representatives around the store were extremely friendly and helpful. In addition, the prices were comparable to those in Canada, making it reasonable to buy more items had I wanted to.

Weber’s World
It is a known fact that you cannot go to Switzerland and not check out Swiss Army Knives. So I did exactly that. Weber’s World is the Lucerne’s first and oldest knife shop. Located on 20 Weinmarkt, this shop is in the center of the Old Town and is the place to buy an authentic Swiss Army Knife.

The workers in the store were all extremely knowledgeable and helpful and told me all about the many items found in the store. In addition to Swiss army knives, Weber’s World had a wide range of historical weapons, such as revolvers and oriental swords, as well as watches and special edition knives. The crowd in this store was not what I was used to, but everyone was friendly and interested in what the other customers were purchasing.

The price of the knives ranged from CHF 7.00 to CHF 295.00. These items are also available for purchase online at the Weber’s World website: http://www.webers-world.com.

The Trends
The Swiss people have similar ideals about attire as the average Canadian. That is stylish yet practical. Most of the people I observed throughout my stay in Switzerland were neither exceptionally fashionable nor the opposite. The locales generally wore clean and chic basics that also offered comfort and quality. Similarly, this was the focus of most apparel stores found in this region.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Where to Shop
There are two major places to shop in Amsterdam. The first is Nieuwedijk-Kalverstraa, a street about a kilometer long close to the central station. This district is dedicated to clothing, music, books and gift shops. The other main area to shop is Damrak Square. A cute quarter surrounding the Royal Palace, here you would find Zara, H&M and the Magna Plaza Shopping Center. This is where most locals and tourists go for everyday shopping and is a lively and exciting area, even if you are just passing by.

For a shopper looking to dip a little bit further into their savings, Pieter Cornelisz Hooftstraat is the place to go. This region is lined with luxury brand stores such as Gucci and Burberry, and over looks the Vondelpark, making it a nice atmosphere for light shopping. Finally, Amsterdam is famous for its markets. Most often located in the city centre, these markets are specialized and range from antiques to art. Here you can search through thousands of items, and find unique pieces for exceptional prices.
Shopping Experiences

Magna Shopping Center
The Magna Shopping center is Amsterdam’s first indoor mall located in the downtown area . This shopping centre had a wide variety of stores including chains as well as independent local brands. The stores I visited there were The Body Shop, Mango, Typical Dutch, Toni & Guy and Stilla. I did not end up purchasing anything from any of these stores, but overall they all had spirit and personality. For instance, although the items in The Body Shop and Mango were the same as those in other countries, each of these stores still projected the Amsterdam essence of harmony. The set up of these stores were more calm and serene and used neutral and relaxing colours. In addition, the sales people gave shoppers more space, while still ensuring that customers new they were there to help. All in all, it was a pleasant experience.

The Trends
The locals in Amsterdam dress similar to their infamous lifestyles: laidback and carefree. I observed that young men and women – teens to late 20s – were often sporting the bohemian look. This consists of flowing bottoms and tops, large knit bags and dreadlocks. As for the 30s and up, most men and women wore basics, such as blazers, simple clean-cut jeans and sneakers. This was similar to the practical yet chic look of the Swiss citizens.

Another big trend in Amsterdam was creativity. Many individuals were seen wearing what looked like home made apparel to express themselves. In addition, similar styles could be found in small boutiques and shops all around the city.

Overall
In the end, my Europe shopping experience is one I will never forget. I found many differences in the styles, stores and people, but one thing remained the same. Attire there, as here, was seen as a form of expression and a way to illustrate ones personality visually. This concept is what has shaped fashions all over the world, and is what will continue to do so in the future.


The Canadian Value Investor © 2007