Merci

Merci is one of Paris’s most distinctive and beloved concept stores, opened in 2009 by Bernard and Marie-France Cohen, the founders of the celebrated children’s fashion brand Bonpoint. Located at 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais in the vibrant Haut-Marais district, Merci occupies a spectacular 1,500 square meter 19th-century building originally used as an upholstery and wallpaper factory. The space unfolds across multiple floors, each devoted to a different dimension of creative living: women’s and men’s fashion and accessories on the ground floor, home furnishings, stationery, bath, and household linen on the upper floor, and a remarkable basement level housing the La Cantine de Merci restaurant, which opens onto a secret garden. Merci is guided by a philosophy of hybridization — blending fleeting trends with lasting design values, combining global inspiration with a deeply Parisian sensibility. The store showcases an ever-evolving selection of exclusive clothing, furniture, ceramics, textiles, lighting, and lifestyle objects sourced from both up-and-coming designers and established creative houses. Beyond shopping, Merci functions as a cultural destination, with a working cinema café, a much-loved Used Book Café, and a seasonal vegetable garden. A meaningful dimension of the Merci concept is its philanthropic commitment, with a portion of profits directed toward supporting foundations benefiting children and communities in Madagascar. Merci also operates a second location, Merci #2, at 19 Rue de Richelieu in the 1st arrondissement.