Unlike on December 25, which is a public holiday, the majority of supermarkets in Paris will open their doors, but with reduced opening hours, often concentrated in the morning and early afternoon. As is the case every year, opening times may vary from one arrondissement or store to another, but certain trends can be identified by brand.
December 24: supermarket opening times by brand
At Carrefour, the situation depends on store format and size. Carrefour City and Carrefour Express stores, which have a strong presence in inner Paris, generally open in the morning and close between 6 and 7 pm on December 24. Larger stores, rarer in Paris itself, tend to close earlier, sometimes around 5 or 6 pm.
As for Monoprix, which is very popular during the festive season, most Parisian stores remain open on December 24, often until 7pm, sometimes 8pm in very central or touristy areas. Fresh produce departments will be open all day, but expect to see heavy traffic from late morning onwards.
Franprix stores, which have a strong presence in residential areas, are almost all open. They generally close between 6 and 8pm, depending on store size and location. For Intermarché, less present in inner Paris but well established in the inner suburbs, stores open on December 24 usually close in the late afternoon, around 5 to 6.30pm.
Lidl stores, present in several arrondissements, generally adopt shorter opening hours, closing between 4 and 6 pm depending on the address.
Organic retailers such as Naturalia, Biocoop and La Vie Claire will mostly remain open, closing between 6 and 7 pm. Here again, the exact times depend on the store.
On December 25, almost all supermarkets in Paris will be closed. Only a few independent mini-markets or stores in highly touristy areas may be open for a few hours, but these are exceptional.