There is no shortage of temptation for shoppers and souvenir-hunters in Italy. Visitors can take advantage of Italy’s traditional expertise in textiles, ceramics and leather and glassware in all price ranges; top-end Gucci garments, Murano glass or calfskin footwear are often on sale just round the corner from somewhere offering rustic ceramics or gastronomic farm products.
Much of Italy’s manufacturing industry consists of small family-run companies. This has led to factory outlets opening across the country, particularly for clothes and other textiles but also for pottery and glass; local tourist offices will be able to point you in the right direction. Rural areas will usually have good basketware, local terracotta or ceramic items as well a veritable banquet of locally produced wine, olive oils, cheeses, hams and salamis. It’s always worth rooting out the local speciality, even in urban centres: Turin is well known for its chocolate, Milan famous for designer clothes and furniture, Venice for glassware and lace, Florence for leather goods, Sicily and Perugia for ceramics.
Every large village and town has at least one weekly market (detailed in the Guide), and though these are usually geared towards household goods, they can be useful for picking up cheap clothing, basketware, ceramics and picnic ingredients.
Prices are mainly in line with most of Western Europe and are always a little higher in the north of the country and urban areas. Credit/debit cards are not widely used although most supermarkets and stores with pricey merchandise will accept them. Haggling is also uncommon in most of Italy but in more rural markets you might like to try your luck; ask for uno sconto (a discount) and see where it gets you. Bargaining is not practised when buying food, however, or in shops.
If you’re resident outside the EU you are entitled to a rebate for the VAT (or IVA) paid on items over €155. You need to ask for a special receipt at the time of purchase and allow your goods to be checked at the airport and the receipt stamped when you leave the country. For more information, see www.globalrefund.com.
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