Paris versus London: Shopping Edition

Featuring JellyCats

Today I am celebrating another turn around the sun. And in honor of this, erm, historic occasion, I’ll focus on something that seems a bit more vapid: shopping. Truth be told, I am usually a reluctant shopper while at home. Though I live in the Los Angeles area- home to Rodeo Drive, Melrose and LA’s shopping district- Costco and Anthropologie are my typical go-to stops, and the idea of spending a day in fitting rooms is about as appealing as watching paint dry. Though, it could be that the old adage holds true in this case: familiarity breeds contempt. Because when I am traveling, I transform into a much bigger spender. This was true on both my spring break trip to Paris and on our recent summer vacation in London, from which we have just returned. And it’s no wonder. Both Paris and London are renowned shopping destinations, with much to offer across various styles and tastes.

And while we did quite a bit of shopping in various shops in both cities, with varying price points, the one commonality between Paris and London was the JellyCat experience.

JellyCat Patisserie vs. JellyCat Fish and Chips

The Galeries Lafayette flagship store on Haussmann is enormous. This 130-year old department store features a number of brands from Zara and Mango to high-end luxury such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton. However, we were not there for a new handbag or piece of jewelry; that would be later. We headed to the Galeries Lafayette for the sole purpose of checking out the JellyCat Patisserie popup.

JellyCats are a popular stuffed animal brand that offers soft plush toys great for babies and young kids. The popularity of the toys surged in the past several years, largely thanks to social media, as well as the ability to entice collectors of all ages- namely adults with adult money to spend. This is certainly true for my girls as well as myself- and at times, even Jacob. So, when in Paris, we had to head up to the fifth floor of the Galeries to the FAO Schwartz to see the Jellies.

While the JellyCat section as a whole offers a number of JellyCat stuffies, the Patisserie experience has a selection of six stuffed toys to choose from: three ‘flavors’ of macarons (also available as a set of three), two types of tart, and the brioche. Emily selected a strawberry tart for her sister, and I picked the brioche. We had to pay for the JellyCats first, after, we then had in get in the line to pick up our Jellies.

It was about an hour-and-a-half wait. The line wrapped around a section of the FAO Schwartz, and we took turns sitting down by the oversized piano toy. It made sense that the wait was so long, as there were two ‘pastry chefs’ assisting customers, and each experience was about 5-10 minutes long. After the long wait, it was finally our turn.

The experience was cute. The ‘chef’ was energetic and lively, and she made it fun, though it did feel a bit silly to ‘cook’ plushies. The patisserie had run out of the pink macarons, so patrons couldn’t purchase the set of three on that day. This was better for us; the exclusive packages were rather pricy. It was 40 euro at the time of our April 2025 visit for each package with the exception of the set of three macarons; this set was 100 euro. Gift sets included the JellyCat wrapped and boxed like a pastry, a sticker sheet, menu, and a collectible pin.

Though cute, I had to admit that I was a little underwhelmed with the patisserie experience. Social media was not all it seemed, so I thought the space would be bigger. The JellyCat section was in a relatively small section of the FAO Schwartz. I knew it would be popular, but I was not expecting to spend 1.5 hours in line. I figured that as JellyCat collectors, it was something fun to try, but I probably wouldn’t do it again. The London shop, on the other hand, was something to write home about.

The London JellyCat Fish and Chips experience is exclusive to Selfridges on Oxford Street. The popup opened in 2024, and features a ‘fish and chips’ cart, along with other fun details. There is a good selection of plush toys, including a number of exclusive additions to add to the gift sets (these can also be purchased on their own without waiting in the huge line).

At time of writing, there are four amuseables toys to collect as part of the personalized gift set: Lily Fish, Cosy Chips, Mushy Peas, and a Sausage. These are actually exclusive to Selfridges and can only be purchased as part of the counter experience. The stuffie comes wrapped in detailed fish and chips packaging, and includes a sticker sheet and a matching collectible enamel pin. It even includes a JellyCat napkin.

Like in Paris, we waited about 1.5 hours to order our JellyCats. But space seemed a little bigger, and the line was managed a bit better. The counter experience was interactive, and the ‘cook’ was energetic and fun. Both girls and I ordered Jellies, so the whole order took just over 20 minutes. Of course, Emily and Sami had to get Michelle Mussel, an exclusive extra, in addition to their fish and peas. Though it wouldn’t be fair for me to judge; I bought a lemon to complete my order of ‘fish and chips.’

Comparing the two European JellyCat experiences, the London event was better organized, and offered a high level of detail throughout. Additionally, reservations can be made on the Selfridges website up to a week in advance. While you still have to wait in the line up to the counter, booking a time allows customers to skip part of the queue. That said, there was a benefit to the Parisian patisserie. France offers VAT refunds for non-EU residents on purchases over 100 euro, inclusive of tax. So for me, between JellyCat souvenirs and a custom Pandora charm, I was able to get back 17 euro on my purchases.

Shopping in Paris:

I don’t have many photos of our Parisian shopping sprees. To be fair, we did not patronize any of the high end stores on the Champs-Élysées; we tend not to go for high-end luxury items, with few exceptions- I’m looking at you Van Cleef and Arpels. But we did drop more than a few euro at the French clothing store, Sézane. I also purchased Sami’s graduation gift, a Longchamp tote, while in Paris. We found that the prices in France were significantly lower for both brands compared to retail prices in the United States, even considering the conversion rate. Furthermore, I was also able to apply for the VAT refund when I left the EU via Schiphol later in the week.

Perhaps the best cost savings, however, was our visit to the City Pharma. French pharmacies are know for having high quality skin care products, and City Pharma did not disappoint. My sisters are really into ‘clean’ beauty products and sunscreens, and I was able to pick up Caudalie cleansers and lotions for them, as well as Mustela sunscreen for my young niece and nephew, all at reduced prices. I even stocked up on Sensodyne toothpaste at about half the price I would pay here in the SGV. Admittedly, I did spend quite a bit, but I was also able to get the VAT back for those purchases as well.

Though fun, the amount of shopping we did get tiring, at least for me. We did have a list of shops we planned on visiting, and we pretty well stuck to the list. Emily chained our trips so that we could be more efficient in terms of both time and money. And I brought my passport- a must in order to get the proper receipts for the VAT refund.

Shopping in London:

So we’ll start with the bad news: no VAT refunds. When the United Kingdom left the EU, so too ended refunds on the value added tax for anyone. The other piece of bad news, at least for summer visitors, was that there was not a ton of air conditioning in many of the shops we visited. So it was hot.

During our time in London, we visited three department stores: Liberty London, Harrods , and Selfridges. My favorite had to be Liberty London. To me, Harrods was too bright and looked more like a regular department store, the style of which one could find in the United States. Selfridges was also similar to department store, though it did have the JellyCats, and an F1 racing display, something Sami loved. But Liberty London offered us a more unique experience.

For starters, the building itself was beautiful. The Tudor-style building was interesting, and I felt the shopping experience started even as we were crossing the street. On the first and second floors, there were a number of brands that we are familiar with at home: clothing brands such as Farm Rio, Hill House, and DÔEN. The third floor, however, was extra special. This is where the famed Liberty fabrics can be found, along with buttons, yarns, and other sewing essentials. While I am no seamstress- indeed, I can just sew a straight line and that’s about it- I had fun looking at the fabrics. My mother-in-law is a talented quilter, and it gave us joy picking out some new fabric for her souvenir. We also picked up travel sewing kits, something that came in handy even on this trip.

For those who like vintage clothing or luxury brands at not-luxury prices, there are a number of cool consignment shops in London. Emily found several, and I was able to pick up a pair of unworn Jimmy Choo heels for just under a third of retail cost. I also tried on a beautiful Chanel suit that I did not purchase. Though even at a steep discount, it was still a bit above my price range. Especially considering the current weakness of the US dollar to the British pound.

The verdict:

Both Paris and London offer fun and unique shopping experiences. Whether you are into quirky, vintage, or high-end luxury, both cities have variety enough to make for interesting shopping sprees. Perhaps it is unfair to compare apples to rocks. I enjoyed shopping in Paris for the French clothing, lower prices on brands I purchase anyway, and the selection of clean skincare. I also appreciated being able to save some money by getting the VAT refund. London was fun for thoughtful and quirky souvenirs- and a great pair of shoes. There was no tax refund, and the conversion from pounds to dollars put us as US shoppers at a disadvantage. Regardless, remember to pay using the local currency. Dynamic conversion ends up costing consumers more than the value of the purchase.

To conclude, I would have fun in either city. Especially when I am able to share those experiences with those I love best- even if the kids end up ‘helping’ me spend more. After all, life is an adventure meant to be shared. Cheers!