Best Milan Shops & Stores

Shopping in Milan: best malls and department stores, boutiques. Where can you buy cheap and luxury fashionable and designer clothes and shoes, goods for children, souvenirs and gifts, household items? Which shopping streets to visit, where are located good inexpensive shops, antique salons and flea markets, outlets in Milan, how can you get a VAT refund in Italy?

The sweet word “shopping”! With each new year, it acquires new meanings, turning from a completely routine and functional business of providing oneself with everything necessary for life into an awfully interesting entertainment. Along the way, it has become as inevitable an attribute of any trip as sightseeing.

In the case of Milan, shopping often becomes the main motivation for a travel planning. Since Italy’s second largest city is justifiably considered the world’s “fashion capital” and attracts buyers like blooming flowers attract bees.

Indeed, where else in the world can you make so many thoughtless, but often valuable purchases, as in the streets of Milan, in its stores, large shopping malls and outlets, authentic markets or family-run shops? I thought about it a lot, and decided that – nowhere!

At the same time, what is really wonderful is that in order to have fun and buy high-quality and inexpensive things, you don’t need to come to Milan during sales. On the contrary, visit the Lombardy capital at other months, less crowded with tourists and therefore much better suited for extensive shopping.

For example, I prefer May as one of the best time to visit Milan. Even despite its often rainy mood (by the way, any downpour is an additional reason to stay in the big store)!

Since at the end of spring, when the energy of both nature and man are at the highest levels, it will be possible to make the most reasonable purchases. And – even more so – to enjoy this kind of relaxation!

What to Buy in Milan

Any travel guide that has written on this theme would persuade you to get here fashionable shoes and stylish leather accessories (handbags, backpacks, purses, belts, eyeglass cases). As well it will also emphasize paying attention to and be sure to spend several hundred (thousands) euros on (sometimes non-standard-looking) designer clothes of world-famous brands.

Including and especially Italian ones! As anyone know – the concentration of relevant boutiques on the shopping streets of Milan is maximum.

But we are more democratic. And advise you, for the most part, just to give yourself a good mood, watching the luxuriously decorated storefronts and the swirling whirlpools of potential buyers. May be, have a cup of coffee in a local bar with a good view, looking around with pleasure – because it’s very beautiful here!

And only on occasion – buy the thing you really like in one of the major shopping malls or family-run stores in Milan

Whether it will be cheap or expensive – not so important! The main thing is that it becomes yours by mutual desire and in the future brings only pleasant emotions and memories.

Shopping Malls in Milan

The first major store, which you will almost inevitably visit, is the Rinascente. Which is located in the very center of the city, directly opposite the side facade of the Milan Cathedral.

Despite this fact, prices in Rinascente, according to most travelers reviews, can be awarded the epithet “moderate”. Although strictly speaking, of course, they can’t be called especially low.

A great pandemonium in the walls of this department store is observed on the Eve of Christmas, in December. As well, you will find a lot of people and a festive atmosphere inside the Rinascente, while visiting Milan in early January.

Interiors of this store are very generously decorated with New Year’s paraphernalia. In some reviews, foreigners notice that they have not seen anything like this either in the UK or in Germany

At other times of the year, Rinascente Milano is also worth a visit. For many reasons!

Just look at the shop windows, buy some kind of gift from Italy for family and loved ones, drink coffee and eat a croissant in a cafe on the roof of the building, which offers a wonderful view of the delicate spires of the Duomo.

If you don’t count money (and can afford it), then in Rinascente Milano you can buy branded clothes and shoes, stylish accessories, cosmetics and perfumes, tableware and home textiles, items for interior decoration.

There is also a free toilet in this department store: every tourist know – it’s a way very important thing!

• Open hours: 10 am-9 pm (till 10 pm on Fri-Sat), for more information visit – rinascente.it/en/.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

The most luxurious and famous shopping mall in Milan locating in a building that justly belongs to one of the main local attractions. Therefore it can be stated that you will definitely not miss it.

Inside there are boutiques of famous brands, as well as jewelry and souvenir shops, expensive cafes. In particular, it is here in Milan that the flagship stores are located: Prada and Louis Vuitton, Versace, Armani and Gucci.

Boutiques that sell clothes at more modest prices also work here. In particular, at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II you can buy garments from Luisa Spagnoli or Stefanel.

Well, in principle, it’s worth coming here to feel the unique atmosphere of this, to understand why Milan and fashion are synonymous words.

• Open hours: 24 h

Mondadori Megastore

In a quite small number of reviews, tourists advised to visit this big three-storey store in Milan, located right on the corner of Piazza del Duomo and Via Orefici.

Although the selection of books and comics, mangas, vinyl records and DVDs is quite large there. But it is worth coming here because of the general atmosphere prevailing in the halls and the views from the windows.

If you have time, there is a place to sit down and flip through a book, think about a plan for further action, just calm down. In short, Mondadori Megastore will help to restore you mind and organize impressions after visiting, for example, the Duomo of Milan or the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

• Open hours: 9 am-9 pm, official web – mondadoristore.it/Mondadori-Duomo/

CityLife Shopping District

The big mall in Milan, which is located far from the city heart. The metro station right at the entrance, as well as rich range of opportunities, however, may force a tourist to include a visit this spot in the list of desirable activities.

In the City Life Shopping District you can buy inexpensive clothes and shoes, food at reasonable prices. As well as original products made in Italy, which, on occasion, will perfectly fit the role of a souvenir.

• Open hours: 10 am-8 pm, official web – citylifeshoppingdistrict.it/en/

Main Shopping Streets in Milan

For an obvious reason, travel guides and bloggers revealing the topic give priority to expensive shops and boutiques. To those, in which you can leave a few hundred euros and buy yourself only a blouse or a neckerchief.

Most of these places are based in the well-known Quadrilatero della moda (Quadrilatero d’Oro), that is, the most famous Milan shopping district. It is believed that it includes boutiqes and stores at Via Monte Napoleone, Via Manzoni, Via Della Spiga and Via Venezia. But in reality, the boundaries of this quarter have long since extended far away.

There is no sense of talking about the advantages of this area. Let’s just note that you absolutely do not need to buy something here – an ordinary walk along the streets located a little northeast of Piazza del Duomo will provide a sufficient number of vivid impressions.

We advise you to look inside Palazzo Morando on Via Sant’Andrea, 6. Where, among the beautiful interiors and furniture of the 18th century, there is the great collection of objects illustrating the history of fashion in Milan.

Well, out of habit, we will proceed further and next advise you to visit such a street as

Corso Vittorio Emmanuele

On which flagship stores of the popular Italian brands Max Mara and Max&Co are located. Here you can also explore the wide assortment of Sephora, which sells perfumes and cosmetics.

Via Dante

This street is quite difficult to miss while sightseeing in Milan. First of all, because it is the shortest way between Piazza del Duomo and the Castello Sforzesco.

There are many shops selling goods of Italian brands at prices that can be called quite sane! Also, at Via Dante you will find many kids clothing and toys stores. So, it’s the “right” place to buy items of a very good quality.

In addition, we will definitely invite you to

Via Torino

which is located in the very center of the city. Here you can go for shopping immediately after getting acquainted with the main art treasures of Milan.

It is believed that Via Torino is primarily focused on youth fashion. But we are sure that middle-aged and older people will also find there inexpensive and high-quality things in the Zara and Foot Locker, Pull&Bear, Primark stores.

Local MUJI Milan with pleasant prices and an extensive assortment of goods for home and office is worth visiting also

In addition to shopping here, you must to enter Santa Maria presso San Satiro. The outstanding and inside simply very beautiful church, where the great Bramante applied the famous optical effect that visually expands the space.

Corso Buenos Aires

This long shopping street in Milan is much better known to tourists than Via Torino. Because every travel guide that deals with the topic of shopping in Italy recommend to visit it.

And it’s quite explainable: there are many stores of mid-range prices on Corso Buenos Aires. Yes, it is difficult to find something exclusive here. But if you need inexpensive casual clothes of an acceptable level of quality, then you will definitely find them in located here H&M, Zara, OVS, MUJI department stores.

As well there are a lot of relatively small family shops selling Italian brands. And you can dilute the tedious shopping tour a little with a walk through the green Giardini Indro Montanelli Park.

Brera District

Should definitely visit people who are used to relying on own taste and know exactly how look really stylish things. After all, in Brera, named after the gallery of the same name, the main art museum of Milan, there are stores of not too well-known, but original-minded Italian brands. Behind which, quite possibly, the future of fashion.

In Brera you can buy something as a gift in one of the local antique shops, where they sell not only vintage, but also very unusual, truly original things. Also, in the art galleries “living” in the main artistic area of Milan you may find absolutely unusual design works.

An ordinary evening walk along the Brera, as if enveloped in the atmosphere of the “good old days”, seems to be one of those activities that will be remembered forever.

Fiera di Senigallia

is located in the authentic Milanese Navigli district on the banks of the canal of the same name. It is considered a very atmospheric place where they sell vintage (many people will simply call it obsolete) clothes, second-hand, as well as postcards and books, vinyls, inexpensive jewelry, some ornaments and accessories, other cute, but relatively useless things.

Among them, however, there are very curious and rare specimens. So if you have time, visit the Senigallia Fair (oldest in Milan), which is open every Saturday, and try to find a real treasure.

Milan Outlet Stores

Those who come to the capital of Lombardy, cherishing the hope of completely updating their wardrobe or, at least, buying a bunch of designer things, will undoubtedly don’t pass by local outlets. The most famous and visited of which is

Serravalle Designer Outlet

located 95 km south of Milan, on the road to Genoa, open 7 days a week from 10 am to 8 pm. This huge center looks like a real village, from the central square of which a number of shops radiate concentrically, literally in waves.

Here you can buy original items from such premium brands as Armani and Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Fendi, Gucci and Saint Laurent, as well as many others. At the same time, keep in mind that all the items sold here are from collections of previous seasons, that is, in a sense, a little vintage.

Serravalle can be reached both by car and by (paid) transfer from the center of Milan, Malpensa and Bergamo airports.

Vicolungo The Style Outlets

The trading centre that seems to have been specially created for those shopaholics who are not ready to spend on upgrading their wardrobe sums with many zeros. Since there are almost no luxury clothing brands represented in Vicolungo, though many ones which are considered high-quality, but still not too expensive.

Getting here from Milan will take just 1 hour, working hours of Vicolungo: 10 am – 8 pm seven days a week.

Fidenza Village

This outlet is located a little further from Milan (115 km), that is, in fact, already near Parma. It’s a much smaller than Serravalle and therefore you will not find such a crowd there.

Naturally, this has an extremely positive effect on the shopping experience. That helps to look at the goods of not so well-known, but also very high-quality Italian brands. There are also inexpensive cafes and restaurants. Where you can satisfy your hunger with original Italian meals in between shopping.

In general, we especially recommend the Fidenza Village – you can spend the whole day here, this outlet also opens from 10 am to 8 pm

By the way, do not forget to arrange tax-free for getting the VAT refund. On February 1, 2024, the minimum amount to do this in Italy decreased from 155 euros to just 70 euros!

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