Introduction to Geneva

Situated where the Rhone river exits Lake Geneva, Geneva is the second-most populous city in Switzerland. It is a global city, a financial center and a worldwide center for diplomacy due to the presence of numerous international organizations. Geneva was ranked among the top ten most livable cities in the world by Mercer. In 2018, it was ranked third in terms of purchasing power among all global cities, according to UBS.

Demographics

Geneva is home to two million, 72% of whom speak French, German and Italian speakers make up about 20% and the remainder speak various languages. Geneva is diverse, with almost half of the city residents being foreign nationals.

Top Five Shopping Streets

• Rue Du Rhone: Located in Geneva’s principal shopping area, Rue Du Rhone is home to world-famous designer flagship boutiques offering fashion, accessories, jewelries and watches. High-end fashion brands vary from Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior to boutiques such as Moncler, Bally and Max Mara.
• Rue de Marché: Compared to the classic and luxurious feel on Rue Du Rhone, Rue du Marché is a traffic-free, trend-led shopping street parallel to Rue du Rhone. On Rue de Marché, you will find contemporary fashion brands for all ages. Famous apparel brands include Mango and Benetton. The street also hosts bookstores, a Swatch shop, Davidoff cigars and Laderach, an artisan chocolate shop.
• Rue du la Croix-d’Or: Features stores of all kinds, from Prada and Chanel to H&M and Zara – plus toy stores, chocolatiers, cafes and restaurants. Visit Martel for delicate chocolates and Franz Carl Weber for all kinds of toys.
• Vieille Ville (Geneva Old Town): Geneva’s Old Town, or Vieille Ville in French, is an ancient maze of small streets and picturesque squares. The streets are lined with cafes, restaurants, galleries, museums and historical sights. It is also home to many fashion boutiques.
• Rue de Mont-Blanc: As one of Geneva’s main shopping streets, Rue de Mont-Blanc is special for its Swiss craft offerings. You will find Swiss pocket knives, quality cigars, leather goods and other traditional Swiss crafts here.

Famous Retail Events

International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva: The annual event features over one thousand new innovations and inventions from around the world. It is the platform for industrial and commercial companies, universities, inventors, researchers and institutions to present their inventions. Public and commercial investors come to see what the future may look like based on the inventions from every field on display.

Top Innovative Retailers

[caption id="attachment_94507" align="alignright" width="320"] Source: www.les-enfants-terribles.ch[/caption]

Les Enfants Terribles Les Enfants Terribles is a concept store that is part design workshop, part vintage store, and part café bar. Located in a former garage in Plainlalais, Geneva, the store’s concept reflects its industrial heritage. It sells home goods, furniture, lighting and handcrafts, all practical and appealing. Some featured goods include trendy colorful Japanese bamboo bowls, dented metal storage cans and BTC lamps from the UK. Other than its regular hours, the store also opens by appointment. It provides home decoration advice and customizes furniture installation projects.

Location: Rue Prevost-Martin 24, Geneva 1205.   Les Bal des Créateurs [caption id="attachment_94508" align="alignright" width="320"] Source: www.lebaldescreateurs.com[/caption] Located in Plainpalais, Le Bal des Créateurs is a concept store devised by Geneva’s famous hairdresser, Christophe Durand. It features a bookshop, beauty room, hairdresser and a 150-square-meter gallery area. Durand, the founder, turned an old gallery into a differentiated space where people can come not only to get their hair done but also to have a drink, get beauty care and buy fashion accessories. The store also hosts events such as weddings, fashion shows, photographic exhibitions, magazine launches and concerts. Location: Rue de L’Arquebuse 25, Geneva 1204.   M.A.D Gallery [caption id="attachment_94509" align="alignright" width="320"] Source: www.instagram.com/mbfmadgallery/[/caption] Located in the old town, Mechanical Art Devices (M.A.D.) Gallery is a gallery and shop that shows unconventional pieces from leading international artists in kinetic art. Apesanteur, for example, is a sculpture that flies, created by artist Quentin Carnaille. There are also original posters by Swiss photographer Ulysse Frechelin, who is famous for using close-ups to photograph American trucks, capturing bright colors. Location: Rue Verdaine 11, Geneva 1204.   Tip’s [caption id="attachment_94510" align="alignright" width="245"] Source: www.tips-geneve.ch[/caption]

Tip’s is a stylish homeware shop in the old town with a merchandise assortment spanning timeless design classics to the creations of young, up-and-coming designers. It has a broad, colorful collection of aesthetic kitchenware and homeware with contemporary design, including ceramic coffee drippers, egg separators shaped like a fish, colorful table settings and wooden presentation dishes in various designs and models.

Location: Grand-Rue 19, Geneva 1204.

     

Le Panapé de Caméla

[caption id="attachment_94511" align="alignright" width="320"] Source: www.facebook.com/lepanapedecamela/[/caption]

Le Panapé de Caméla is a home goods boutique selling a selection of ethically made items with contemporary design and aestheticism. You will find colorful dishes, wooden corkscrews, accessories and more. The founders select pieces from small producers or made by artisans, and regularly refresh the collection.

Location: Rue de General-Dufour 20, Geneva 1204.

     

Les Recyclables

[caption id="attachment_94512" align="alignright" width="320"] Source: www.facebook.com/Les-Recyclables[/caption]

Half café and half second-hand bookshop, Les Recyclables is a hybrid store located in Plainpalais. It hopes to bring customers an experience of a tasty mixture at a low price: novels, salads, books and cakes, all in one visit. Famous for its massive and constantly refreshed second-hand book collection, the café was awarded the Cantonal Sustainable Development Grant in 2005. It also hosts regular lectures, debates, literary evenings and musical performances.

Location: Rue de Carouge 53, Geneva 1205

 

Toy Characterstation

[caption id="attachment_94513" align="alignright" width="320"] Source: www.characterstation.com [/caption]

Toy Characterstation sells various designer toys, figurines, accessories and t-shirts. You may expect to find figurines of all your favorite characters from cartoons, movies and TV series. There are figures from Marvel and DC Comics, Disney, Star Wars and even figurines of sports stars. Toy Characterstation also customize figurines and host events such as figurine exhibitions.

Location: Rue de Grenus 1, Geneva 1201.  

Foound

[caption id="attachment_94514" align="alignright" width="320"] Source: www.foound.ch/[/caption]

Foound is a concept store with diverse identities. For tourists, it is a novel place to visit, shop and get a meal. The café on the first floor has a relaxed vibe, with colorful chairs and inventive lighting. The store has a broad offering, ranging from clothing, jewelry, vintage items to bikes. It also hosts a salon and a tattoo shop. For artists, Foound is a co-working space for creative designers to gather. Foound also offers pop-up spaces for new brands to test and iterate their products, in addition to hosting yoga classes, workshops, photography and drawing classes.

Location: Rue Jean-Dassier 7 / Rue de Lyon 16, Geneva 1201.  

Septieme Etage

[caption id="attachment_94515" align="alignright" width="320"] Source: www.facebook.com/Septième-Etage-135271973187392/[/caption]

Known for its “non-photoshopped” and unusual design, Septieme Etage offers a unique side of fashion in Geneva. The shop aims to offer clothing that customers want to remember, to keep and wear no matter where they go. You may expect personal recommendations on clothing and accessories from the owners, who have a unique opinion on fashion and fashion trends.

Location: Rue du Perron 10, Geneva 1204

 

Julia’s Dressing

[caption id="attachment_94516" align="alignright" width="320"] Source: www.facebook.com/JULIAS-DRESSING-196070093912/[/caption]

Run by Julia Pleynes, Julia’s Dressing is special for its delicate collection of vintage pieces with a timeless style. You will find clothes from the 20s to the 80s at reasonable prices, including brands such as Pucci, Caardin and Courreges. The shop offers accessories as well, ranging from shoes, hats, glasses to jewelry. You may also find bags, pouches and suitcases, along with a section devoted to children’s clothing from the 60s and 70s such as coats, dresses, hats and more in sizes suitable for children aged 8 months to 12 years.

Location: Rue Jean-Violette 18, Geneva 1205.

Must-See Street: Rue Dancet  

On the bank of the River Arve is the quiet street Rue Dancet. The street is divided into two sides by two rows of trees, with the Rue Dancet parking lot located in the middle. There are many small but creative stores on the street, ready to hit you with the vigorous and elegant vibe of the city.

1. Librairie Pacifique Plainpalais: This classical local bookstore offers books of all kinds, stationary, papers, coloring pencils and more at good prices. Librairie Pacific Plainpalais also ofers delivery.
2. Atelier da Klara Retouches: Atelier da Klara Retouches is a sewing shop that sells customized clothing, fabrics and curtains and offers repair services. Visit the place to design your dress and see how it is made.
3. Brico Dancet: Brico Dancet is a do-it-yourself shop, full of creative arts. With the many various mateirals the store provides, you may create your own piece of art for home decroation with the help of shop staff.
4. JCD-Hobbies Trains miniatures: A toy store specialized in selling model rails. You will find a large selection of Swiss and other model trains and aircraft in various scales.
5. Magasin Fame Genève: A specity shop selling soccer balls and soccer accessories. It has one of the largest selections of soccer shoes in Geneva, representing the biggest brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma.