Milan is without a doubt a world renowned centre for shopping. There the various designers showcase their designs on the Milan runways and stock them in the Milan elegant shops. It is the capital shopping centre in Italy and has a wide variety and choice of jewellery, antiques, furniture, designer items and many more. The Milan craftsmanship is impressive and the craftsmen can be spotted all over the city. Their outstanding creativity is evident in the statues, monuments and fountains in downtown Milan.
The shops in Milan open from 9am to 1pm and from 3.30pm to 8pm. Milan can be said to be the home of high style in Italy and there are many a fashion designer found there. All world renowned designers have shops in Milan and very often you will hear names such as Armani, Laura Biagiotti, Gucci, Versace, Krizia, Missoni, Prada, MaxMara, Trussardi and Valentino of designer outlets. In addition to these exuberant designer outlets there are also smaller stalls and sops where fashionable clothes and envy inspiring accessories can be found.
The food shops in Milan are very well stocked with tasty, fine food hams, salami, cheese, all kinds of bread, chocolate cakes and an assortment of gourmet food, they also have a wide variety of Italian wines stocked. The most famous food shop in Milan is Peck and its over a century old. It comes very highly recommended by most of the locals. These food shops coupled with the beautiful parks and squares provide for a very sumptuous picnic.
Milan does not have that many department stores with the most prestigious store being the La Rinascente which has eight floors, located in central Milan, open seven days a week till late and has the widest variety of goods. Additionally there’s Upim in the Piazza San Babila which is a large department store with many cafes, shops and bars in close proximity and the Coin in the Piazza Cinque Giorate which sells superior quality goods at very sensible prices.
Sales are held in Milan twice a year in January and in early July. These sales offer discounts as large as 75 percent but buyers should always be cautious and authenticate the goods. There are also other shops in Milan such as the Il Salvagante which have all year bargains but even then the buyers should always authenticate the goods and ensure they are of good quality.