A few years ago the organic food store Biocoop brought the bulk food trend to Paris with the city’s first all-bulk organic supermarket pop-up. Parisians happily flocked to the temporary 10tharrondissement address during the month-long run, stocking up on dry goods as well as bulk coffee beans, oils, and other non pre-packaged items. In the years since this pop up, Paris has seen a variety of 100% bulk food shops open their doors in permanent spaces across the city. Here are a few of our favorite spots to stock up without wasting in Paris:
With three locations in Paris (in the 7th, 15th, and 17th arrondissements), as well as a shop in neighboring Versailles, Day by Day is a nationwide bulk food supermarket chain that is cutting down on waste across the country. The stores stock pantry basics such as rice, pasta, grains, and dried beans as well as herbs, spices, and bulk cooking oils of all kinds.
Day by Day facilitates one-stop shopping with the breadth of its selection, which also features chocolate, eggs, honey, bulk dog and cat food, kitty litter, women’s personal hygiene supplies, and cleaning products. Select stores even serve as bottle shops, offering a choice of bottle-your-own spirits and wines, from locally distilled vodka and gin to a variety of French red.
Seeing the growing interest in zero-waste shopping in France, Negozio Leggero, an Italian bulk food chain, has opened its first Paris address. Located in the République neighborhood, the shop, which offers the option to have your groceries delivered to you at home, embraces an anti-gaspillage (no-waste) approach to commerce.
In addition to the standard foods they sell (which unsurprisingly includes a wide selection of organic Italian pasta), Negozio Leggero also sells some unexpected items. From makeup to artisanal soaps, to baby products (reusable diapers!) and other personal hygiene products, the shop brings together organic groceries and an ethical, eco-pharmacy under one roof.
En Vrac
Located in the Marché de l’Olive neighborhood of the 18tharrondissement, En Vrac brings together a selection of bulk adult beverages—with wines from across France and distilled spirits that you bottle yourself and take home. Reusable wine bottles and cute little glass containers for gin, rum, grappa, and various digestifs can be bought for a refundable fee (paid upon return of the container) and filled accordingly based on your choice of product and volume.
En Vrac also proposes rentals of stainless steel wine barrels to use for serving bulk wine at parties or events. While visiting this innovative cave, check out their selection of local and artisanal products such as locally brewed beer from the Brasserie de la Goutte d’Or and sardines from the renowned Tricana conserverie in Lisbon, and coffee from Paris’s Café Lomi. En Vrac also has a second location at 48 rue Notre Dame de Lorette (75009) and you can taste their wines at La Recyclerie in the 18th arrondissement.
L’Epicerie Kilogramme takes a pedagogical approach to promoting the zero-waste lifestyle. The shop offers regular DIY workshops to teach customers how to make their own cosmetics, cleaning products, and healthy meals in addition to several other propositions (coming up next: “Bébé Zéro Déchet” “Zero-waste Baby”).
The space is also an organic bulk food shop, with an épicerie stocking dry goods, fruits, veggies, and a selection of homemade meals available for takeaway or to eat sur place.
Welcome Bio
This eco-conscious concept store has everything you need to outfit your home—from bedroom to kitchen—with high-quality, natural products. Part organic grocery store (affiliated with biocoop) part housewares shop, the something-for-everyone space even has its own restaurant. As if it weren’t easy enough to spend hours at this multipurpose store, Welcome Bio will have you sticking around for more with their frequent events and workshops focusing on self-care, cooking, even book binding!
Related Links
- Check out the best ethical, sustainable and fair-trade shopping in Paris.
- For a comprehensive guide on zero-waste shopping in Paris, head to Paris To Go.
- Are you pregnant or thinking about having a baby? Read about how to have a natural birth in Paris.
Written by Emily Dilling for HiP Paris. All photos by Palmyre Roigt. Looking for a fabulous vacation, or long term, rental in Paris, Italy, France or elsewhere in Europe? Let us know. We can help!
WRITTEN BY
Emily Dilling
Emily Dilling is a France based writer and author of My Paris Market Cookbook: A Culinary Tour of French Flavors and Seasonal Recipes. In 2005 Emily moved to Paris from her native California and began exploring the cities markets, restaurants, and cafés. In 2010 she founded the blog Paris Paysanne, where she writes about her favorite addresses and artisans in the city. Emily currently lives in the Loir-et-Cher region of France, where she writes and works in the grapevines.
Hey! very nice food store with beautiful collection. Thanks