While markets held frequently in Provençal towns and villages are the best place to buy fresh produce and other foodstuffs, excellent fruit and vegetables are always available in the small grocery stores and supermarkets. As in North America the most economical shopping is in the supermarkets, especially for staples. Nearest to Puyvert and Lourmarin is Super U, located between Lauris and Puyvert, about 1.5 kms. from the village. A larger Hyper U is in Pertuis, about 12 kms east. Take the road from Cadenet to Pertuis. On the outskirts of Pertuis there are large signs indicating the shopping centre. It's also a good place to buy cheap gasoline. There are other supermarkets in Pertuis, also in Apt, Cavaillon and Aix.

In Lourmarin there is a small grocery store and a shop which specializes in local produce, charcuterie and cheeses. There are also two bakeries on the main street and one which makes excellent whole-grain bread on Rue du Temple, which runs between the main street and the Auberge du Moulin. Lourmarin also has a pharmacy, post office and a bank, the Credit Agricole, which is open two mornings a week (useful for cashing travelers checks). International dailes are available in the Lourmarin news agency.

Cadenet, a larger centre, has several grocery stores, bakeries, etc., and an excellent butcher at the bottom of the road which climbs uphill from the main square. There is a full-time branch of the Credit Agricole on the main road to Pertuis (still well within town).

In Lauris there is an excellent grocery store - Casino; two good butchers and a good bakery and patisserie, all on the main street. Also a bank, post office and pharmacy, but shopping in Lourmarin is more pleasant and within walking distance of Puyvert on winding country roads (don't walk by the main road).

A limited variety of wine may be bought in the smaller shops and supermarkets have large wine and liquor sections. The wine cooperatives in Lourmarin, Cadenet and Lauris, in fact all over the region, sell locally produced wine by the bottle or 'en vrac' in plastic 5 or l0 litre jugs. It's also a pleasant drive to such excellent wine-producing areas as Vaqueyras, Gigondas, Chateauneuf du Pape and Beaumes de Venise. And scattered over the countryside are chateaus that produce their own wine and sell it on the spot.