Traveling abroad is always an expensive venture, between international flights, hotel/accommodations, food, and tourist excursions, you can spend a lot of money on your dream vacation. But you still want to bring back something from your international adventures to remind you of home, without spending the remaining of your life savings. Especially for college students, who are already burying themselves in debt, the thought of a quality purchase to bring home may seem out of reach. Italy is an extravagant country with extravagant shopping opportunities, so bringing something home on a budget is no easy feat. It is the land of rich food, ornate palaces, and (most importantly) designer fashion. All the major brands: Gucci, Versace, Valentino, are all from Italy. What better way to treat yourself to some Italian culture than buy designer during your time abroad? Yet, before you dismiss this post, what if you could buy designer goods for more than 50% off? Well, there is. “The Mall” located on the outskirts of Florence is an oasis to the “boujee” college student who is still trying to pay their loans. Now, my no means does this qualify as completely affordable, but with a little saving you can have an Italian designer purchase to carry home.
The Mall is a 30 minute drive from the historic center of Florence. Hotels can arrange private shuttles, or you can call a taxi (for about 120 Euros round trip), but there is a comfortable double decker bus you can ride for 13 Euros round trip. Buses leave every 30 minutes from both the bus station next to Santa Maria Novella train station (Via Santa Caterina da Siena 17) and the center of The Mall.
The Mall shuttle bus.
Once you arrive, buildings with the infamous Gucci, Prada, Valentino and many more brand names cluster together. However, you are looking for the best deal and get the most for what you saved fort his trip, and that’s Gucci (but you can find the full store directory here). You will get the best deals while still shopping at an exclusive Italian designer brand to remind you of the wonderful trip you took to Italy. Deals are around 50% off due to the fact that most of the products are from the previous season. The Gucci store at The Mall sells both men and women fashion, handbags/wallets, accessories, and shoes. A sales associate will help you peruse the store walking from counter to counter explaining all the styles you’re interested in and their prices.
Heels with iconic Gucci clasp and interior of store.
Here is a look into a couple things you might find and the deals you might see. A pair of heels with the Gucci clasp that is still on the current season’s designs are sold for 250 euros (opposed to its retail price of 560 euros, an about 66% discount). Another design is a wallet purse from last season which is sold for 330 euros. The current season equivalent retails for 1,200. Men’s ties are sold for 80 euros compared to 155 euros. The medium and larger sized handbags are sold for 600 and 850 euros respectively, compared to both being well over 1,000 euros at typical Gucci stores.
Exterior of Gucci outlet store.
And the deal keeps getting sweeter. At The Mall, next to the Dolce and Gabbana store, there is a tax refund office where, if you are leaving Italy within the next two weeks, you can get an instant cash VAT tax refund. This refund is applicable to all purchases of at least 155 euros (even in typical designer stores) for 12.5% of your purchase. However, you would typically need to get your refund at the airport. You can still do this if you choose, but the office at The Mall has shorter wait times (about 20 mins depending on the time and day) and you get your refund the same day of your purchase. All you need to do is get your receipt stamped at your departing airport, and send in the documentation with the envelope provided by the cashier at your time of purchase. If you leave Italy more than two weeks after your purchase at The Mall, you need to go through the typical airport process, but you will still receive your 12.5% discount.
Images (Left to Right): Small crossbody wallet on chain for 330 euros in all six colors; close up of black wallet on chain; Small bag for 600 euros; Men's wallets for 190 euros.
Another reason to buy designer and take advantage of the deals during your time abroad is the fact that Italian designer products are in fact cheaper in Italy, even at their typical retain prices. The same exact products from this season can have 400-dollar difference in price after the VAT tax refund and conversion to US dollars. For example, let’s take one of the most popular designs this season, the Dionysus Bag. The GG Mini Supreme Dionysus bag retails for 1290 Euros at the generic Gucci store and $1690. After the VAT tax and conversion to US dollars, the European bag comes to $1,354.50, which is $335.5 saved even before US sales taxes. FOR THE SAME BAG. So if you need an excuse to spoil yourself with a designer purchase, that’s it. Buying in Europe and even more importantly, staying savvy by checking out outlet malls and stores with significant discounts, is definitely worth the time and research. The thing to keep in mind whenever shopping is know what you’re looking for, and be educated in the deal you want and how much you are willing to spend before you go. Furthermore, do your research into the products you are interested in to make sure you are getting a good deal.
The last, and arguably most important, thing to keep in mind is to save prior to your trip to Italy. Designer things are not necessities but are really rewarding when you work to save up for them and will last forever if taken care of properly. Other common Italian splurges are leather jackets and bags which could cost anywhere from 100-300 euros, similar prices found in the Gucci store at The Mall. Yet, even if you don’t purchase anything, it is well worth the 13 euro round trip on bus to visit all the stores and soak in the Italian fashion culture. It is one of the few places you can visit to see and touch all the different trends, brands, and styles from the world famous Italian fashion sphere. It is definitely something that upon first glance will take you aback and transport you to another, more expensive, world.