Naturalia — Bio Store in Batignolles, Paris

This is a branch of Naturalia on Boulevard des Batignolles in Batignolles, and the first thing you notice is how much is packed onto the shelves. The range runs wider than most bio shops of this size, and the interior is clean and tidily presented, with products laid out attractively enough that you want to browse.

The bulk section is where the shop gets interesting and where it gets awkward. Dispensers of oats, goji berries and other bulk goods are scattered across different sections rather than grouped together, so finding a specific one means working your way through the aisles. The layout as a whole takes some navigating; it is not a shop you cross in a straight line.

Promotions are worth watching, and the pricing on offer items is attractive against what you would pay elsewhere for the same bio products. A delivery option is available, which makes sense for a large shop you would rather not carry home through Batignolles.

Registers are few, self-checkouts can be limited, and queues build, particularly on Sunday afternoons when the shop is busy and the wait can stretch to a quarter of an hour.

Brochant station serves the neighbourhood, and the shop sits on the boulevard itself. It suits a stocked pantry more than a fast errand: come for the range and the promotions, and allow time for the queue.