Émile Zola Street

You’re now crossing the city’s main shopping street—and chances are, you’ve already heard about Troyes’ reputation as a shopping destination, especially for its famous factory outlets. What you might not know is that Troyes’ connection to textiles actually goes way back. The city has been known for its fabric production since the Middle Ages and is considered the French capital of hosiery. That means anything knitted—underwear, stockings, socks, and more. It’s no surprise, then, that two iconic French brands, Lacoste and Petit Bateau, were both born right here. Here’s a fun fact: the very first factory outlet in France started in Troyes. Wikipedia traces the first one back to 1936, but the real boom happened in the 1950s. At the beginning, the idea was simple—sell slightly defective items at reduced prices, and only to the employees of the factory that made them. Eventually, these sales were extended to their families and, by the 1970s, to the general public. They were called “factory outlets” because the shops were directly connected to the production sites. Over time, the shops separated from the factories and grouped together on the edge of the city. Today, it’s no longer about minor defects, but about selling unsold stock from past seasons at discounted prices, all year round. With 85,000 square meters of retail space, Troyes now proudly holds the title of Europe’s outlet shopping capital.