Italy's hottest places  to shop are the designer outlet malls, offering up affordable brands like Etro, Frette and La Perla . The shops inside these malls offer top quality brand names at 30 to 75 percent off their original prices. Another great choice are Italy's department stores, Coin and Rinascente, which offer a wide range of goods. If you intend to shop at a designer store be sure to look your sharpest. Italians still dress up to shop so  when in Rome, do as the Romans. Clothes, shoes and bags, world-famous for their style and quality, can be found throughout the country, while other items are found only in special regions and cities. Carrara (Tuscany), for example, is known for its marble. Sardinia’s writing paper made of cork is also a popular purchase, along with the Cremona handmade violins. Valenza boasts a large number of goldsmiths, while Sulmona produces the so-called confetti sugar-coated almonds used for wedding celebrations. Ravenna is famous for its mosaics and Volterra – for alabaster products.

If shopping in Rome designer names flaunt the fashionable Via Condotti. Old books and prints are to be found along the bookstalls of Piazza Borghese, while the local flea market at Porta Portese in Trastevere starts early on Sundays. The Piazza di Spagna encompasses the streets of Via Frattina, Via Borgognona and Via Delle Carrozze, all of which are packed with designer goods. More reasonably-priced shops can be found near the Campo dei Fiori. The city’s ultimate place for brand-name outlets, the McArthur Glen's Castel Romano Outlet Centre, offers more than 90 designer stores including Bruno Magli, Ferragamo, Frette, Puma and Fratelli Rosetti discounted at 30 to 75 percent.

Florence’s prestigious shopping area is set between Via Tornabuoni, Via Calzaiouli and Via Maggio. Jewelers are located along the Ponte Vecchio, with the open-air Straw Market locally known as Il Porcellinoclose by. San Lorenzo Market is yet another shopping option. The outlets just outside of Florence make this historic city more contemporary. The Mall, Italy's most upscale outlet centre includes brands such as Gucci, Ferragamo, Bottega Veneta, Sergio Rossi and Yves Saint Laurent. Space, also known as the Prada Outlet is housed in an unused warehouse and is also a great place to browse.