A chic Parisian supermarket owned by luxury goods giant LVMH has an American section selling items including marshmallow spread and six types of microwave popcorn.
La Grande Grocery Storelocated about 1.6 km from the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte, is known for selling international foods.
A French-speaking customer who took a pack of Reese’s pretzels from the American aisle said Sports Illustrated: ‘It’s a mix of sweet and salty, and Americans love sweet and salty.’
Other American products available in stores include corn syrup, jarred sausages (such as hot dogs), and macaroni and cheese from a box.
La Grande Épicerie has two locations in Paris, on Rue de Sèvres and Rue de Passy.
The American food section of La Grande Épicerie in Paris offers items such as marshmallow spread, macaroni in a box and six types of microwave popcorn
The first branch opened in 1923 on the ground floor of what is now LVMH’s French headquarters.
The store, designed by Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, was one of the first places where customers could shop all year round.
La Grande Épicerie eventually opened pastry shops in its store in 1934 and became a place where customers could earn coupons in exchange for old clothes, according to Gault & Millau.
Today, the Rue de Sèvres store offers around 30,000 products, some of which are exclusively available in the store or are made on site.
Shopping enthusiasts in the Rue de Sèvres store can also visit the wine cellar, the Le Balthazar wine bar and the La Table restaurant.
“The new Grande Épicerie de Paris, which opened in 2013, is the most ambitious food hall concept in Europe,” said Patrice Wagner, CEO of LVMH, after the opening.
‘Thanks to the expertise of our craftsmen, our architects and the artists chosen for this project, we were able to realise this desire to become an unmissable gastronomic destination.’
Some American visitors were not impressed with the American items on offer.
The first La Grande Épicerie opened in 1923 on the ground floor of what is now the French headquarters of LVMH
The Rue de Sèvres establishment offers around 30,000 products, some of which are exclusively available in the store or are made on site
“I find it a little strange. I didn’t wish I had some ‘hot dog sausages’ in a jar,” tourist Katie Laurino told Sports Illustrated.
In the British section you’ll find shortbread, different types of tea and beef jerky, which, according to employee Cécile Irtelli, is ‘very popular’.
“We have French people coming from all over France,” says Irtelli, who helps curate the British selection. “You can’t find these products anywhere else.”
Other dishes that received rave reviews include Vermont goat cheese.
“I was so happy to find an American artisanal product,” Christy Shields, an associate professor of anthropology at the American University of Paris who researches nutrition, told Sports Illustrated.
On social media, people are raving about their experiences at La Grande Épicerie.
In the UK section you will find shortbread, beef jerky and various teas
A shopper from France wrote in French: ‘My life project: to do all my shopping at the Grande Épicerie, and my groceries at the Bon Marché. Every day.’
Several X (formerly Twitter) users worldwide have praised La Grande Épicerie and their food products
