A look into the best Marseille shopping areas, including shopping streets within the city center and shopping centers in the region.
Saint Ferréol is a pedestrian street, famous for the many brand boutiques located along the street.
For having the best experience in terms of shopping streets, however, you should make the tour:
Canebière – Saint Ferreol – Rue Paradis – Rue de Rome
…which contain the highlights for shopping in Marseille.
Within these streets, you can find variety of services ranging from the official Olympique de Marseille store to shops selling cosmetics and fashion to cafes and restaurants.
PHOTO: Rue Saint Ferréol, as seen from the main street in Marseille ‘La Canebière’.
Of the different types of Marseille shopping products, popular among tourists are…
- the colorful Provençal fabrics and
- “savon de Marseille” soaps.
Marseille soaps, originating from the city as the name suggests, are the only soap choice for a large section of French women.
Marseille is famous for its fashion industry, and to find local clothing, a good place to start are the streets surrounding Cours Julien…with tens of trendy clothing stores for a variety of styles.
Galeries Lafayette also has a fashion focused department store, at Rue St Ferréol 40-48.
PHOTO: Saint Ferreol ends at the pictured Centre Bourse shopping center (www.centre-bourse.com), located next to the Canebière. Anchor tenants at the shopping center include Galeries Lafayette (www.galerieslafayette.com), the biggest department store in Marseilles.
Centre Bourse is located just a five minute walk from the Marseille Vieux Port harbor, and provides a selection of 60 stores to choose from.
The shopping center has three floors, and includes several Marseille flagship stores for major brands.
Another popular shopping center in Marseille is the more modern “L’Escale Borély”, located at Avenue Mendès-France, offering shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars.
PHOTO: Canebière, a view from Marseille Vieux Port harbor’s Quai des Belges.
For shopping in Marseille, you should also check out the harbor area, where there are many stores specializing in local products, such as small Provençal wooden figurines, better known as “santons“.
PHOTO: Areas surrounding Canebière are a center for both daytime activities as well as for nightlife, with highlights often including the pictured (seasonal) Ferris wheel.
If you have accommodation in a apartment hotel in Marseille, like Suite Affaire (www.suiteaffaire.com), with a possibility to cook your own meals, you should check out the Marseille fish market, held every morning within the Vieux Port harbor, at Quai des Belges.
On Wednesdays, these open-air markets feature organically produced fruits and vegetables, and on Saturdays, the flower stores come to the market to sell their products.
In addition to Vieux Port markets, other markets include…
- “Market La Plaine” (on Thursdays and Fridays): fruits, vegetables, and other food products,
- Market Prado, and markets at
- Cours Puget Market, as well as
- Place des Capucins.