Shopping in Nord Pas-de-Calais conjures instantly beers, wines and cheeses. Hypermarkets at Dunkerque, Lille, St Omer, Calais and Boulogne and Cité de l’Europe at Coquelles are great value for household staples and kitchenware but centres like Marques Avenue in Coquelles and McArthur Glen and l’Usine at Roubaix offer discounted prices on big names in fashion too.

Fantastic foods, fresh and prepared, sell in weekly markets and city centre specialist shops; not least, Philippe Olivier’s cheese in Boulogne and fish shops selling soup in Etaples and Le Touquet. However, when it comes to desserts, the famous Charles de Gaulle Waffle at Patisserie Meert in Lille’s chic old town really takes the biscuit!
Major industries, including glass making at Arques and ceramics in Desvres, have selling outlets. At the Crystal d'Arc factory shop, glass ranges from shockingly cheap tableware to delightful lead crystal.