Crisis shopping in Milan

Milan has long been considered the Mecca of world fashion. Every year, a huge number of tourists come here for shopping. Recently, the situation for Russian tourists has changed. Due to the crisis, Russians have become more cautious about shopping in Milan. How to save money and at the same time remain satisfied with your purchases, the following tips will help.

Plan your shopping in Milan in advance.
If you want to come to Milan during the winter discount season, then you should take care of the tickets and the hotel in advance. If you buy tickets in 2-3 months, then they will cost you less, at least 2 times. If you come at a time when some kind of exhibition is taking place in Milan, then the prices for the hotel can be raised up to 7 times! You can view the calendar of exhibitions in Milan here. (Https://www.fieramilano.it/)

Don't buy ultra fancy items.
Before the crisis, we had a completely different attitude to shopping. We bought a lot of unnecessary things, making impulse purchases. Milan is completely filled with boutiques with insanely beautiful shop windows. Each of them literally screams at you that only in this boutique you will find the best and most fashionable. The tendency to buy things, the so-called must have, has passed, which once you wear it, you can no longer wear it. Buy quality and unique things of its kind, not necessarily for fabulous money. Things that will eventually become your favorite and will delight you for many seasons.

More time for shopping.
Don't buy everything at once in the same boutique you've been visiting for years. Give yourself time to think and figure out if you really need this thing. Walk around the shops, see the brands you've never bought, evaluate their quality and price. It is better to come back the next day just for the purchases that you really need, than to buy something that you will not need at all.

Shopping in Milan Outlets and Spachi

During the season, many stock boutiques are ready to offer you a huge selection of Italian branded clothing at a discount. We are talking about last year's collections, about things that were not sold in the store, but they are still relevant and fashionable.

The only negative is that you may not find your size, but there are many advantages. First of all, the price. It ranges from 30 to 70% in the regular sale season, and can go up to 90% in the discount season. For example, at the Seravalle outlet, which is just an hour's drive from Milan, you can buy shoes Prada for only 100 euros, when in the store a year ago they cost 600-800. In the Vicolungo outlet, which is designed for the average level, you can pick up 4-5 complete sets of clothes for 1500-2000 euros. This is the average cost of a handbag purchased in the center of Milan.

Away from tourist spots.
Everyone knows that renting a shopping area in the center of Milan costs fabulous money. In this regard, stores are forced to put an additional mark-up on their goods. If you are only 2-3 km away from the center, you can buy the same things cheaper. Of course, you won't find luxury Italian brands there. Their boutiques are located exactly in the center - in the Golden Quadrangle of Fashion, but you can buy mid-range brands with a price advantage. Visit shopping malls such as COIN, there are 4 of them in the city. In COIN you will find about 200 brands of footwear, lingerie, weekend and casual wear for the whole family. Addresses in Milan:

Shopping in Milan with a stylist

For several years now, there has been a tendency, when arriving in Milan, to use the services of a staff of shoppers and stylists. Prices for such services vary greatly, on average from 150 to 400 euros per day, depending on the "caliber" of the stylist. But there are pitfalls here too.Many Russian stylists come to Milan for the sales season, using such a stylist is very risky.

Firstly, being constantly in Moscow, he will lead you along the route that he used in previous seasons. Not being in Milan, he cannot know about the opening of new boutiques, thus, he cannot help you buy the same product for less money. But the bigger risk is that he does not have a work permit in Italy. While in a boutique, the financial police may approach you and ask for documents. The excuse that this is not a stylist, but your friend and you are just walking may not work.

If the police see that there is information about this person on the Internet and that he is a stylist, you will at least get off with a fine of 1,300 euros. If you turn to Russian shoppers living in Milan, be sure to pay attention to their education. The price of 150 euros per day of work can be attributed to his two-week certificate of attending some kind of shopping course, which is very different from someone who studied at a fashion school for years. Such a person will never provide you with a quality service for the selection of things. He will lead you to boutiques that pay him dividends from sales, and inspire you to buy something that you do not need at all. Thus, he will earn himself everything that he did not take from you directly.

Forums.
Before you travel, be sure to read the forums about Italy. The advice of ordinary tourists, such as you, can greatly help you avoid mistakes in buying things and renting hotels. Forums from travel companies are not suitable for this at all. Most of the comments are hidden advertisements of the tour operators themselves. It is better to look at NOT the commercial forums about Italy, where people just communicate with each other.

I hope my advice will be useful for you, and the next time you decide to visit Milan, your arrival will give you a lot of pleasant emotions and help you save your budget.