Florence is home to many shops and stalls filled with goods made by local craftsmen, as well as designer stores, markets, and much more. The number of options can make shopping in Florence feel overwhelming but after years of exploring the city, I’m here to make it simple for you.

Florence is home to quite a few famous fashion brands, such as Gucci, Pucci, Ferragamo and Patrizia Pepe. However even if you’re not a dedicated fashionista, there’s still absolutely tons of great shopping in Florence.

You’ll find all kinds of artisan arts and crafts, beautiful vintage pieces and delicious products that allow you to take a little bit of Tuscany home with you.

You will find great stores pretty much everywhere in Florence as well as plenty of markets to browse.

So shopping in Florence is not so much about finding places but knowing what is good quality. You’ll want to look for labels and signs that indicate the product is made locally or in Italy. Designer goods are not sold on market stalls and if a leather bag price seems cheap, it’s because it’s not real Italian leather.

At markets you can try bargaining, but don’t be surprised if the vendor says no. Nowadays I’m seeing more and more stalls have card machines but in general it’s a good idea to have cash with you – this can make bargaining a little easier as well.

Don’t forget that if you are purchasing items in a store and you spend more than 70€, you can claim the tax back when you leave Italy. You need to ask for a Tax Free form when in store to fill out (keep a copy of your passport on your phone ready for this) and then at the airport go to the dedicated desk to complete the claim process.

Shops in the city center

In the historic center of Florence the main shopping streets are Via Calzaiuoli, Via Roma and Via Calimala, close to Piazza della Signoria. Here you’ll find most high street chains like Zara, H&M, Intimissimi, Calzadonia and many, many others.

On nearby Via de Tornabuoni you’ll find the more high-end designer stores like Gucci and Prada.

Close by at Piazza della Repubblica you’ll find Florence’s biggest luxury department store; La Rinascente, which is a one stop shop for everything from memorable souvenirs to luxury labels. On the same piazza there’s a big Apple store, and you’ll find lots of bars to fuel up whilst on your shopping spree. La Rinascente also has a great rooftop bar for mid-shopping breaks.

Outside of these, you’ll find lots of side streets with smaller shops, often still family owned businesses.

You should definitely explore these stores for more original items such as wooden toys, smaller independent boutiques with beautifully crafted clothes and others items you won’t necessarily find elsewhere.

Markets in Florence

Florence is home to many markets, some are open daily, others specific days a week. The Mercato Centrale is home to a wide array of food and drink items which you can buy to take away or eat there.

The San Lorenzo market is just outside, selling leather goods, accessories and other souvenirs, with both of these markets opening daily.

There are also regular open air markets at Mercato Sant’Ambrosio (open daily in the mornings), a flea market in Piazza Santo Spirito (second Sunday of each month) and the famous antique market (runs Monday to Saturday).

If you’re looking for a beautiful designer bag or a pair of the latest fancy sneakers, the area around Via de Tornabuoni is where you should go. Here you’ll find all the big high fashion brands, such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Ferragamo, Celine and many many others.

For some of the stores you’ll have to wait in line for a little bit as they are very popular, but in case of rain you’ll probably be supplied with umbrellas by the store. You don’t just go to these shops for the things you want to buy, but also for the luxury experience.

Mixed into the almost endless line of shops along Via de Tornabuoni you’ll find exclusive little bars and restaurants. The neighborhood is located just steps away from Piazza della Repubblica so you won’t have to go far to find these flagship stores.

If you really want to get into luxury shopping, but you need to hold on to some budget for your other amazing travel plans, then heading to one of the outlets might be a good idea for you.

Bringing together many recognizable brands, outlets in Italy are similar to those in the US. Stores sell end of line or last season items with a discount, so if you’re not looking for a particular piece it can be a good place to browse.

They are outside Florence so you will need to travel to reach them but there are good connections from the city center. I would recommend avoiding the outlets on the weekends, as they tend to get super crowded with locals, especially during the sales seasons of January and July.

The Mall Firenze

The biggest and most well-known outlet close to Florence is The Mall Firenze. Here you’ll find designer items from many big brands, like Gucci, Burberry and Saint Laurent with good discounts offered year-round.

They mainly have clothing stores but also other shop categories.

The Mall is very well serviced, with a shuttle bus running from the Santa Maria Novella train station directly to the outlet. You can also reach The Mall by car, it’s about a 45 minute drive outside of Florence.

Barberino Designer Outlet

The Mall is not the only outlet option, there’s also the Barberino Designer outlet. Here you find brands like Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Furla and Coccinelle and they do some good deals.

This is a proper outlet village with tons of restaurants as well so it’s a fun day out.

Barberino Designer Outlet is located about half an hour by car from Florence, but there are also buses that run to and from Santa Maria Novella train station.

If you want to find something made of the finest Italian materials, quality pieces or just something unique, you’ll want to check out the artisan shopping options in Florence.

The best areas for artisan goods are the neighborhoods around Santa Croce and Sant’Ambrogio, or those on the other side of the river in Oltrarno.

Santa Croce and Sant’Ambrogio

In this area, near the Santa Croce basilica, a collective of local artisans and artists have developed what they call a ‘not for tourist map’. This will take you to different spots to show you their work and hopefully find yourself a beautiful handcrafted souvenir. More details are on the map you can find here.

There are beautiful little works with representations of Florence in traditional techniques, pottery in all sorts and shapes, jewelry shops and much, much more.

Oltrarno

Head to the Oltrarno district on the south bank of the river for more artisan shopping. The neighborhoods of San Niccolo, Santo Spirito and San Frediano are all packed with locals who make the most beautiful things that I just love.

Go to Via San Niccolo for street art and handcrafted shoes for example. Or head for Via Romana and Via de’ Serragli for local artists, handmade jewelry, hand-painted clothes and local delicacies.

Finally, in the neighborhood of San Frediano you’ll find a local sculptor with monumental pieces and a collective of women presenting their arts.

Leather is a craft that is very much connected to Florentine artisan experts. Throughout the city you’ll find lots of different leather markets and stores, selling everything from bags to shoes, clothing, belts and other accessories.

The important question to ask yourself when looking for leather goods is what you are looking for. In both the markets and in the shops, you’ll find a lot of industrially made leather goods.

If you see the same bag or wallet style everywhere on display, it’s safe to say it’s made with industrial leather. The way leather feels in your hands (its heaviness, thickness, coloring etc.) is a very good indication to know the quality of leather you’re dealing with.

So is the price point. Artisan leather goods come at a price, as working leather is quite a labor intensive process. If it seems too cheap (the classic ‘too good to be true’) it usually is.

The Mercato di San Lorenzo is one of the most popular places to purchase leather goods, but you can also visit the leather school near Santa Croce. Their shop sells products made by the students learning their craft, which means it’s cheaper but the quality is still very good.

If you want to bring home some of the delicious things Tuscany has to offer, there’s lots of ways to do so.

Wine

Stocking up on good wine is best done in local shops or directly at wineries who have special rates for shipping. If you go to smaller local speciality stores you might even be able to create your own box of Tuscan wines, consisting of different varieties.

Often when you buy directly from the winery they will only ship six of the same bottles in a box. Instead, smaller shops will be able to deliver more tailor-made services.

Be sure to stay away from the big touristy shops in the center, and go to a smaller shop elsewhere in town where you can talk to the staff and get exactly what you want.

Cheese

Cheese is also a great souvenir to take home with you given the wide range of cheese available in Italy.

If you’re taking it back to the US, make sure you have it wrapped by the vendor in a vacuum wrap, so that it will stay okay for a good amount of time. In such a package it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, as long as you don’t keep it in really hot places (so be careful in the summer).

Be aware that you’re only allowed to bring back hard cheeses, you can’t bring soft cheeses like mozzarella with you, and no meat either, as tempting as the salamis look!

Truffle

Another popular delicacy to shop for is anything containing truffle. In the city center there are a couple of truffle specialized stores that sell truffle products. However, they’re relatively expensive.

In regular supermarkets, at the big food markets or in smaller alimentari (small grocery stores) you usually get better value for your money and lots of variety.

When you’re at the supermarket, pick up some good pasta to bring home and go with your truffles. Rummo, la Molisana and del Cecco are good brands and a lot cheaper (and tastier in my opinion) than the ‘fancy’ pastas you will find in tourist shops.

One of the best recommendations I can give you when looking for something special in any touristy place (whether it’s souvenirs, foods, drinks…) is to move away from the main streets and piazzas, and hit the side streets or the lesser explored neighborhoods.

In the historic center I buy mostly from the smaller shops, or I head to the Oltrarno area of the city where most artisans are located.

Bargaining (except in the big leather markets) is not really a thing. Often if you buy a few items, shop owners (especially artisans) will give you a little discount or give you something for free, but you shouldn’t go in with the mentality of getting the advertised prices down.

And if you find a good place, ask the people there for other recommendations. Florence is a small city and many people know each other; they will be happy to recommend to you other places to get the items that you are looking for.