Comment du Jour

Shopping...Americans are not the Big Spenders!


For the past month stores and boutiques across France have been having their Summer Sales. From les Grands Magazins to boutiques, there are some amazing deals I have been told. Economically this is a shot in the arm for the French economy.

Pictured above we see the Temples of Shopping--Printemps in Paris and Galleries Lafayette's grande dome.

Americans are swarming all over Paris, but we have the habit of looking and not buying. A still strong Euro and the realization that many of the products still cost less stateside, makes us hesitate. We are no longer the big spenders.

Not so for the Japanese and the Russians. Mainland Chinese visitors are among the new power shoppers in Paris. Over the years, many shops had and still retain Japanese sales assistants to help people select their items. Now many establishments cater to the Chinese--many bouiques and airport Duty Free shops have Mandarin Chinese speaking sales assistants.

And needless to say Arabs, awash in petrodollars, can't wait to spend their moolah on anything expensive.