For sustainable consumption, buy second-hand in Angers
When it comes to going green, the easiest thing to do is to buy second-hand rather than new. Here are a few tips, for you or to offer to your loved ones!
Scour Angers’ second-hand shops!
When it comes to clothing, Angers’ stores offer an embarrassment of riches! Right in the center of town, you’ll find vintage clothes and accessories to weigh in at Kiloshop, brand-name and vintage clothes at La friperie du Tonnerre, or even Céline’s great clothing advice at Frip your mind, where you can also enjoy a coffee or attend one of her events! Another concept: the itinerant Tianguis thrift shop, which travels the roads of Anjou in its van. A selection of his pieces can be found in a number of stores, including La Coloc and P’tits poids carottes in Angers, and even at Ô local in Chalonnes-sur-Loire.
China your furniture… and everything else!
What could be nicer than taking home or giving as a gift a pretty armchair or mismatched mugs that already have a story behind them, as a souvenir of your trip? In the open air, we recommend the Place Imbach flea market at market time on Saturday mornings, or the Château flea market on Rue Toussaint, every first Sunday of the month. There are also a number of flea markets open all year round in these two areas, such as the fine selections found in the Nouveau Jour and La Coloc boutiques.
Recycled and zero waste
Over the last few years, green* boutiques have been springing up around bulk, zero waste and recycling… Looking for an eco-responsible souvenir? Why not opt for a pretty recycled textile from the Vadelma boutique, for example, or one of L’atelier CLF ‘s ethical French creations? On the upcycling side, the 9D store, at 9D rue Parcheminerie, offers vintage, streetwear and upcycled clothing, with customized vintage pieces.
For sustainable consumption, buy local
Angers and the surrounding area are home to a large number of green stores that are keen to have a positive impact on the environment, but also to support local craftsmanship. Some offer mainly local products, handmade by local designers… Jewelry, soaps, ceramics, you name it!
Designer boutiques
There’s no shortage of talented designers in Angers! While they’re most often to be found on Instagram or Etsy, some of them are on display in Angers boutiques, such as Fishbrain, L’Oisellerie or L’atelier 41, which are brimming with jewelry, textiles, toys and beauty products… If you’re out and about on the banks of the Loire, don’t hesitate to drop in at Loire Créateurs in Sainte-Gemme-sur-Loire or La maison rose in Bouchemaine. It’s the perfect way to buy local and help keep local crafts alive!
Multicartes
Some of Angers’ craft stores are multi-martes, where you’re guaranteed to find beautiful objects by local designers, second-hand furniture, a beautiful location and a welcoming café. Such is the case at Au Cube, on rue Maillé in Angers, where you’ll find all this in the incredible setting of a courtyard inside a private mansion covered by an all-glass dome. And to find all this, with the added bonus of a terrace overlooking the Loire, you’ll have to go all the way to Chalonnes-sur-Loire and visit Ô local!
For sustainable consumption, learn to do it yourself
We tend to forget it, but making things yourself is also a highly satisfying option! Stores and designers offer workshops to learn how to make beauty and hygiene products, decorative objects and clothing. An original way to treat yourself or take home a unique gift, with the pride of having made it yourself! Need a new soap? Visit Müe. Interested in making a bulk bag? Vadelma is the place to do it. Looking for embroidery or a recipe for rhum arrangé? Find out more about the workshops and courses offered by the designers at Au Cube or Béhu’Art. Would you like to try your hand at ceramics? Check out ceramist Anke Wool ‘s workshops! And for all your homemade desires: the Wecandoo website is a mine of ideas. So, who’s ready to create souvenirs that are 100% local and literally made in Angers?
And what are your favorite green* stores in Angers and the surrounding area?
*green store: store where you can buy eco-responsible, local or second-hand products.
