Venice Shopping

Venice Shopping information

Best Areas

In Venice the emphasis is on the stylishly chic, but don't expect any bargains - this is the most expensive city in Italy after all. Around San Marco's you'll find the really upmarket shops. Designers Prada, Versace and Armani can all be found on the streets that spoke off from the main square. Browse Mercerie, the street that runs from the square to Rialto for the best clothes and shoe stores. This same area is good for antiques and glassware, both of which Venice is famous for. If you're serious about your antiques, Campo Santo Stefano is the place to head. Small antiques shops are thick on the ground round this large square and most things from pottery to art prints can be found here. It's also not a bad place to grab a coffee and take a break from the shops. The mainstream shopping complexes are on the mainland in Mestre. The most modern of these is the Centro Le Barche, a complex comprising the standard range of Euro chainstores and large outlets.

Markets

Venice is a market city. Tourist and working markets litter the plazas of the city and the city's premier market, the Mercato de Rialto, is a tourist attraction in its own right. Often the market is referred to not as one market but as several, with the stalls being divided up according to produce. Fresh flowers, fish, fruit and veg can all be found within the market grounds at the foot of the bridge. If simply browsing just for the atmosphere, check out the Pescheria (the fish market). This is where the most spectacular produce can be found with all shapes and sizes of freshly caught fish on offer. Make sure you arrive early - the boats start unloading produce in the early hours and by noon a lot of the stalls begin to close. Other much more minor markets can be found throughout the city. Most tourist drags are attended by smatterings of small stallholders selling everything from souvenirs to refreshments.

What to Buy

As you'd expect in Italy a lot of people use a break in Venice to get a look at the latest fashion from the country's leading designers. Versace, Prada and Armani are just a few of the big names that have a store in the city. All Italians have a great sense of their country's history and the Venetians have an eye for the beautiful and the unusual. Consequently Venice is a prime hunting ground for antiques. Going on an antique hunt has the added bonus that it draws you away from the standard tourist haunts. Look out for antiquarian books in particular, Venice was at the forefront of printing in the early days of the craft. Venetian handmade paper makes an unusual gift or a distinctive reminder of your visit. Legatoria Piazzesi on Campiello della Feltrina (not far from St Mark's Square) still prints its own designs using wooden blocks and sells some very fine pieces. Various street vendors will try to sell you plastic, metal or wood carved miniature gondolas and the like. It's up to you whether to inflict them on your mantelpiece or not - but a less tacky souvenir is some Venetian glass or the fine lace that the city produces. Look out for handmade examples of both throughout the city. Murano Glass is famous the world over for its craftsmanship and clarity. You will find fabulous pieces, both functional and decorative, throughout Venice in gift shops. However, pieces are also available direct from the glassworks that are still located in the city. It's an ideal place to find discounted goods and possibly see how the glass is made. Check out these special offers at two of the city's outlets. Not far from St Mark's Square, on the Ponte Della Canonica Laguna Murano Glass is offering a fabulous 15% off all purchases from its wide selection of finely crafted glass items.

Opening Hours

Many shops in Venice close for an extended lunch hour. Stores are generally open from 09h30-13h00 and 15h30/16h00-19h00/20h00. In busy tourist areas shops stay open all day every day, from 09h30-19h30. Food shops tend to open from 08h00-13h00 and 15h00-19h30 Mon-Sat and are closed on Sundays and Wednesday afternoons.

Tax Refund

Value added tax (IVA in Italy) of 20% is added on to the price of all consumer goods and services. Having visited Italy, non-EU tourists can apply for a tax refund on goods bought there. Most countries offering a tax refund specify a minimum amount that must be spent in a particular shop to claim a refund. In Italy, the minimum purchase to qualify for a refund is EUR154.94, spent in one store. To reclaim tax you need to request an itemised invoice, indicating the item, price and amount of tax paid. On departure from Italy, take the items and invoice to the customs office to be stamped. Once home, send the stamped invoice to the store where you purchased the items, which will then send the refund to you. Alternatively, you can purchase goods from shops participating in Tax-free Shopping programme (look out for the Tax-free Shopping logo displayed in the window). Simply show your passport when you make a purchase and you will be given a Tax-free Shopping cheque to the amount of tax payable. As you leave the country, customs officials will stamp your cheques. You can then claim your refund from the Tax-free Shopping desk or have it sent to you. Note that by law in Italy when making purchases in shops, or paying restaurant and hotel bills the client must take the receipt with them.