Cheapest "drugstore"/pharmacy in Paris for buying toothpaste, women's items, etc.

Question

Cheapest "drugstore"/pharmacy in Paris for buying toothpaste, women's items, etc.

Answer 1

I have never tried it, but have been told that the cheapest "pharmacie" in Paris for that sort of things is City-Pharma, 26 rue du Four, Paris 6e (near Saint-Sulpice Métro station). Apparently, it is a small place and so it is recommended not to go there on a Saturday because it is really crowded.

EDIT: for the benefit of the answerer below me: Monoprix is an expensive store for such items. The Veleda, Nuxe, or Caudélie products I buy in a pharmacie are much cheaper than in Monoprix. And it depends on the products you are looking for. If you want really cheap, but not really good, yes, go to Lidl. If you want quality products at a good price, go to a pharmacie.

Answer 2

You don't buy these at the pharmacy in France unless you want to pay 3 times the normal price. You buy them at the supermarket. In downtown Paris look for anything called Monoprix, Champion, Intermarché, Casino, Atac, Carrefour...

There are also hard discount stores called E.D and Lidl (I think, not sure of the name), those are the cheapest.

EDIT: French pharmacies are not stores like in the US, they are very small, highly specialized places where people go for prescription drugs and medical advice mostly. To make more business they also sell toothpaste, toothbrushes and personal hygiene products but a very small selection only and very overpriced. Other places called para-pharmacies sell personal hygiene items, but they will still be more expensive than supermarkets.

And yes, Annabelle is right, Monoprix is the most expensive chain of all those I gave you, but they have a large aisle for personal hygiene products at various prices and you'll find toothpaste, shampoo, etc at least 50 % cheaper than a regular pharmacy.

I also agree with her that hard discount stores sell c**p (don't buy your food there!) but if you happen to live near one they are good for paper towels, toilet paper and that kind of stuff.