MilanTravel Guides

Shopping in Milan

Do you like shopping? Few will say no but shopping in Milan is one of the most exciting city activities. It’s a kind of a authentic journey through the world of fashion and fashion designers.

A wide variety of shops, salons, boutiques, shopping outlets and tiny shops, attribute to Milan, an appropriate title as one of the queens of the world’s fashion. I really don’t agree with opinion of some people describe shopping as the one and only point when visiting Milan.

Milan is a great place to go shopping. There’s always a good excuse to do some shopping. Whether it’s a new pair of jeans, a new line of cosmetics, or just the last book of your favorite writer, there’s always something to buy and that can make you happy.

The fact is that the city of shopping and fashion in Italy is only one, Milan. Here’s my personal shopping guide where and when to do shopping.

When to go shopping in Milan?

Prada sales in July

In this city you can go shopping all year round. Every month is good for shopping. All depends on type of shopping we want to make but much more on your budget.

If you are looking for shopping deals or special occasions than in time of shopping sales in Milan you’ll certainly find something that it’s your only opportunity to buy it under these conditions. And it will be difficult to say no!

If it is true that everything depends on the type of shopping that one decides to undertake, economic, casual or luxury than Milan has two main sale seasons:

  • Winter sales from 4 January to 5 March 2019 – On of the most important rules of sales in Milan is to be there on the first days of sales if you want to take advantage of the best deals.
  • July Summer Sales Collection – Milan in July has always been a synonym for shopping sales (saldi estivi in Italian). This haven for shopping lovers starts on the first Saturday of July and usually lasts until the first day of September.

Where to do shopping in Milan?

Although shopping can be done in any part of the city, there are several shopping areas and districts where you will find leading national and international luxury brands, boutiques, furniture showrooms and high-class jewelers

Here’s the list of main Milan’s areas for clothes shopping in Milan:

Fashion quadrilateral

Fashion quadrilateral (in Italian ‘quadrilatero della moda‘) refers to several Milan’s most elegant shopping streets. This term has been used for four interconnecting streets that are home to the most expensive high fashion in the world.

Valentino - Via Monte Napoleone, 20

This Fashion District starts from the heart of the luxury shopping area Via Monte Napoleone ,Via della Spiga, Via Sant’ Andrea that together with Via Manzoni, Via Borgospeso, Via Gesù and Via Santo Spirito constitute the external borderlines of the famous Fashion District. See the map below!

Where to do low cost shopping in Milan?

Shopping in Milan

If you are looking for shopping places for ‘common mortals’ where it doesn’t cost a fortune here are some places ideal for bargain hunters:

  • Milan city markets held in various parts of the city, from Monday to Saturday, where everyone can walk to the weekly market, at least one day a week.
  • Shopping outlets that sell stock designer items of all kinds from large to small, some in very center or in nearby city suburbs but both reachable by public transportation or organized shopping tours.