Is There Target in France? How to Find the French Equivalent • Happily Ever Travels

Is there a Target in France? Unfortunately, there isn’t a Target in France. This is one American export that hasn’t made it across the Atlantic to France.

The tendency with French shops is to focus on one thing and try to do it well, which is why multi-purpose, one-stop shops like Target and Walmart haven’t really translated well over here.

Where is the Closest Target to France?

Sadly, Target doesn’t have any stores in Europe, so if you’re looking to have that in-person Target experience, you’re going to have to wait until your next trip Stateside.

That being said, Target has recently launched an international website, with shipping across the EU, so you can get some of your favorites, you just have to pay shipping.

This might make it slightly less affordable, but if you really want your Target fix, it is possible while you’re living in France.

French Alternatives to Target

Although France doesn’t really have a straight equivalent of Target, there are some similar big chains that might start to fill the Target-shaped hole in your heart.

Monoprix

Okay, we’re going to start with the closest thing that you’re going to get to Target in France, which is Monoprix.

Here’s one of the most beautiful Monoprix’s I’ve ever seen in Rouen, France:

They have some smaller city center stores, but the larger Monoprix has a lot of great clothing and food selections.

In addition to this, they also have a lot of homeware, including high-quality kitchen supplies for prices that are actually pretty decent.

If you want the closest swap for Target, you definitely need to find out where your closest big Monoprix is.

Carrefour

So, if you’ve ever been to France before, chances are you’ve seen or been in a Carrefour – they’re everywhere.

They are predominantly a supermarket, but they have a mix of small city center locations and huge warehouse-style stores.

In the bigger stores, you can get pretty much anything food-wise, including all the foods that can be difficult to find in French supermarkets.

When Jake and I first moved to Nice, we got a ton of our basics for the house at Carrefour, as you can see:

man shopping at Carrefour — poor Jake is exhausted in this pic lol

There are whole sections of sugar-free, lactose-free, and gluten-free products.

There are also tons of amazing snacks, and let’s be honest, who’s ever left a visit to Target without snacks?

Maxi Bazar

If Carrefour has all the basics, Maxi Bazar is like all the basics but with a splash of personality. Of course, Carrefour is cheaper since most of the stuff there is bare bones, but at Maxi Bazar you can find any type of house decoration that will add a bit of *spice* to your house.

Maxi Bazar mostly focuses on homeware and decor and you can always find the essentials alongside something completely off-the-wall and unnecessary. For example, a giant golden tiger or gorilla.

Maxi Bazar isn’t just a homeware store – they’ve also got a beauty section and a good helping of candy to grab on the way round.

They tend to be smaller and in city centers, so don’t have that warehouse feel that Targets have, but it can be a good substitute while you’re in France.

Graphigro

One of the times that you really miss having a Target is during the back-to-school period.

When you need notebooks, pencil cases, stickers, paints, and art supplies, you don’t necessarily want to be going to one of the fancy French stationery stores.

Graphigro specializes in all things art, office, and craft supplies at really reasonable rates.

If you need to top up your paper supply, grab some crafting ribbon or just get another box of pens to replace the ones that always go missing, Graphigro is the place to go.

BHV

So, BHV is a little bit fancier than Target and is more on par with a high-end Macy’s.

It’s essentially your typical department store with clothing, beauty, homeware, electrical, and art supplies. If France had a one-stop-shop this would be it.

The thing is, it is a bit more pricey than our beloved Target, but if you’re wanting to just go to one place and get everything you need, BHV is pretty close.

IKEA

I mean IKEA hardly needs any introduction, they’re all over the world for a reason. I don’t think you’ll find a student dorm or first apartment without at least one piece of furniture or item from IKEA.

It’s largely affordable, easy, and works the same wherever you are. As it’s a Swedish company, it’s easy to find an IKEA store in Europe. In fact, there are even mini IKEAs that they’re trialing in city centers.

So, if you’re looking for furniture that isn’t going to break the bank, or you just want delicious meatballs in the IKEA restaurant, you can absolutely rely on IKEA in France.

In fact, Nice now has its own IKEA!