Many people would not expect a ski resort to offer a great deal in the way of shopping, but Méribel provides a diverse range of shops and boutiques to suit different lifestyles and budgets.
Shopping in Meribel
As you would expect from a skiing Mecca, there are dozens of sports shops where you can find everything from top of the range technical ski wear, with brands such as Patagonia, Peak Performance or North Face, and also more fashion orientated piste wear such as Bognor and Descente. The young and hip crowd will also find several shops specialising in boarding gear and sportswear with brands like Quiksilver, Ripcurl and Volcom.
Fashionistas will be delighted with the recent addition of the chic Coco boutique in Méribel Village which offers designer brands, and also should not miss Sport Boutique in Méribel centre where labels like Prada, Longchamp and Dolce & Gabbana are to be found. More affordable, everyday clothing can be found in shops such as White Stuff.
Children are well catered for, with several boutiques specialising in fashionable French children’s fashions and ski gear. They will also enjoy the various souvenir shops offering whistling marmots, Méribel t-shirts and the latest gadgets and gismos.
Although sports shops tend to dominate, there are also newsagents, chemists, opticians, photography shops, hardware stores and grocers. Wonderful local produce can be found in several specialist foodstores as well as in the supermarkets – don’t leave the Savoie without sampling the excellent local charcuterie and cheeses. Especially good is the delicious Beaufort d’été Gruyère. Méribel’s main bakery, les Glaciers, offers mouth-watering chocolates, cakes and patisseries to take home or eat at the upstairs tearooms. The valley’s other boulangerie, Le Village des Pains, in Méribel Village is also highly recommended for its varied range of goods.
In recent years several interior design shops have appeared, offering high quality items mainly in a chic, chalet style. Scandi 73, Vent d’Est and Home Déco are all worth a browse if you would like to take home something a little different for your home.
Other popular shops include Maison de la Presse in Méribel centre, which offers English-language newspapers and books and posters; Au-delà des Montagnes which has quirky fashions and L’Occitane products; and Stephanya which offers interesting jewellery and gifts.
The majority of Meribel’s shops are found in the centre of town in the various arcaded ‘galleries’ and in Mottaret the shops are concentrated in the resort centre near the Tourist Office. But the other districts in Méribel all offer a variety of shops and are worth exploring, which can easily be done by using the free bus service.
On Tuesdays and Fridays in winter there is a small market on the Route de la Chaudanne in Méribel centre, offering local produce, clothing, jewellery, sweets and gadgets.
During the summer season, it is possible to find ski clothing and equipment at massively reduced prices, especially during the annual ‘Braderie’ sale, a resort-wide street sale when all the shops drop their prices even further. This is usually held on the second weekend in August, and shouldn’t be missed by anyone who enjoys a good bargain. During the summer season the sport shops offer clothing and equipment for all the various mountain activities in the resort, including golf, tennis, walking, trekking and swimming.
Most shops open at 9am or 10am and close for lunch at midday. They reopen from 2pm and stay open until 7.30pm or 8.00pm which allows you to browse the shops on your way to dinner.
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