For most visitors, Monoprix is simply somewhere to buy a bottle of water, a notebook or a few last-minute souvenirs before heading back to the hotel. Walk into almost any arrondissement and you’ll probably find one nearby, quietly serving the rhythms of everyday Parisian life.

Yet behind those familiar white shopping bags lies a story stretching back to 1932, encompassing innovation, urban retail, corporate mergers and changing French lifestyles. Monoprix is more than a supermarket or department store; it has become part of the fabric of Paris itself.

My own fascination with Monoprix began almost by accident. Years ago, I developed the habit of bringing home one of its iconic reusable shopping bags after every trip to Paris. What started as an inexpensive keepsake slowly became a collection—and eventually a question: why do I find this ordinary shop so compelling?

That curiosity led me down an unexpected path through the history of French retail, the growth of the Casino Group, the evolution of shopping habits in Paris and the remarkable role Monoprix has played in everyday city life. Alongside that research came a series of memorable encounters: searching unsuccessfully for St Michel doughnuts in Les Halles, attempting to explain “foldable backpack” in fractured French, and discovering that the “Casino” I’d planned to visit at Place de la Nation wasn’t a casino at all.

In the latest episode of Coffee Pot Conversations, I explore why Monoprix has become such a distinctive part of the Parisian experience. It is a story about shopping, certainly, but also about language, culture, travel and the small rituals that make us feel connected to a place.

Sometimes, the most ordinary destinations reveal the most extraordinary stories. And in Paris, few places are more ordinary – or more fascinating – than Monoprix.