We first posted on Paris’ charitable superstore, Merci, back in 2009 when owners Bernard and Marie-France Cohen (the founders of children’s line Bonpoint) opened the shop in an old factory building. Today it’s a cult classic, and every Parisian I met had at least ten things from Merci in their house. Now that they’re online (good news for those of us on the other side of the ocean), Merci is worth another look.
Photography by Alexa Hotz for Remodelista.
Above: The Cohens’ shop is a completely charitable concept store, with proceeds going to children’s charities in Madagascar. Since the end of 2012, more than 900 children have benefitted from a well-balanced meal in paternship with PAM (World Feeding Program) and schools in Ankilimivony, Ankilibory, and Ambola have continued to run thanks to donations from Merci.
Above: A series of 330L Bacsac Planters, made from a felt interior for drainage and anti-UV and frostproof polypropylene; €128 each.
Above: Upon entering the shop, to your right you’ll find the coffee bar and library of donated books and overhead, a rotating exhibition of the moment (this time Merci was all about brooms and brushes). Also on the ground floor: an Aesop and Annick Goutal boutique as well as menswear.
Above: Pass under the brooms and just a half a floor up is womenswear, accessories, and shoes.
Above: Downstairs is Merci’s other cafe, garden, and kitchenware (plus enamel lighting priced below what you find in the US). Above are high quality rubber gloves on the cheap.
Above: Falconware Enamel Tumblers in classic colors for €7.90.
Above: Industrial-like bins of smaller Bacsac planters.
Above: Randomly placed shelves on a wall of white bricks display the top products of the moment.
Above: Head upstairs for furniture, dining accessories, stationery, and their famous French household linen.
Above: Colorful Holdall Bags for €19 made from the same soft European linen used in Merci’s bed linens.
Above: Shades of green on a fully set table on the upstairs floor.
If you’re in Paris now, drop by for a look at the latest installation: a collaboration with John Malkovich. For more places to visit nearby see our Travels with an Editor: Paris series and visit our Paris City Guide.
Location of Merci below:
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