Stores, Malls or Markets in Milan

Names as Esselunga or Standa can be found all over the town but not that much in the city center.

Actually the only one I have seen in the center was a relatively small Standa supermarket on Via Torino.

This is the place where you can find typical Italian products such as parmesan, prosciutto or salami at a relatively low price.

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Panificio Tre Spighe is the kind of shop from where the natives buy many types of newly baked bread.

The best shops are usually located in the suburbs and offer a wide range of bread: focaccia di patate (Italian bread made of potatoes), tartarughe (tortoises - round white bread looking like a tortoise shell) or just simple bread.

The prices are surprisingly low of a tourist used to the prices downtown (Eur 0.06- for a foccacia di patate).

The shop is located near Inganni subway station (red line).

A paradise indeed for the beading fans like me.

What to buy: A huge shop where you can find… everything: beads, materials, findings, books, tools, packaging and even bijoux to copy.

What to pay: Fantasy Craft is offering a huge range of colors and models of beads for extremely convenient prices (from EUR 2.5 to EUR 5 per 100gr). Not to talk about the accessories and the staff ready to help and advice you.

The biggest shopping-street in Milan is the Corso Buenos Aires, a 20 minutes walk from the Duomo. There are shops for all people and all sizes of pockets. Most of the shops are for those who wants to buy clothes, but there are also bookshops, sportshops, and, since it in Italy, also a lot of shoe-shops...
It's definately not the place for the cheapest shopping in Milan, but still you will find clothes for also resonable prices. The street is about 1-1,5 km long, and has both famous and less famous stores. And after the shopping-time, you can sit down, relax, and have a good cup of italian coffe in one of the many cafés or restaurants.

What to buy: Clothes in special, but also shoes, food, jewelry and more and more.

What to pay: As more or less everything in Milan, it's quite expensive also here. But if you want to shop in Milan, this is the street to start at.

... maybe 25-50 per cent more expensive you'll find at the Corso Vittorio Emanuelle II, right behind the Duomo. There is a big shopping-center in the beginning of the street, and then follows a lot of other shops in all kinds of sizes.

When you're done, or just in between two shops, you can sit down in one of the many caf?s at the street. Just be aware that you're right now in the most turistic area in Milan, so the prices will be there after... Not to cheap, that is.

The cheapest shop on this street will probably be Hennes & Mauritz, the swedish lowcost-chain. The store opened during autumn 2003 and has been a big success. The Milan-people seems to like the idea of shopping for a bit lower price now and then, and the local is normally crowded with clients.

I'm not one of them, since I got enough of their clothes in Sweden, but if you want to go there it's in the end of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, at Piazza San Babila.

What to buy: Clothes in special, both for men, women and children.
And shoes, for everyone, with the will to find something more special, and more expensive.

What to pay: Quite much I'm afraid. As always in a bigger town it's quite expensive in Milan, and this street is even more expensive than normal streets in the town.

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Located in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (exit to Piazza della Scala), Rizzoli is a modern book shop offering a wide range of books, album and guides.

It is actually one of the places I love in Milan because you can find all the books you want and especially tourist guides in English.

I'm a fan of Michelin Green Guides and this is the place from where I buy the guides for my next trips.

Usually you can find the guides in every book shop in Italy but those are only in Italian and even if I do speak Italian I hate the fact that they change the names of the places (e.g. Munchen is Monaco in Italian).

I have also found in this shop very good and detailed maps and interesting albums.

I popped down to the new Ferrari Store in Piazza dei Liberty the day after its grand opening on 1 Sept 2005. They were still unloading tonnes of stuff into the store, but I must say the whole place is most impressive!

Talk about merchandising! You can get everything from Ferrari soaps, to Puma shoes with the Ferrari emblem, a kids' Ferrari rocking-horse and not to mention clothes, clothes, clothes.

There are bits of engines (that I couldn't identify of course), a F1 simulator (seated in a real car) on the basement floor for kids (and also grown-ups, I suspect) and what might be a real F1 car in the shop window.

What to buy: Ferrari memoribilia.

What to pay: Everything's overpriced for what it really is of course, but you're paying for the brand aren't you?

There are several markets in Milan, mostly food and everyday items, though on Saturdays you'll find one near the navigli/Piazza XXIV Maggio.

For high-street shopping there is Corso Buenos Aires and Via Torino (nr duomo) , or if designer labels are more your thing, check out Corso Vittorio Emanuele II or the magnificent Galleria (see photo) and the famous Via Montenapoleone.

Warning: shopping in Milan is hazardous to your bank balance!!