Shopping Outlet Stores in Florence
May 6th, 2006, 08:07 AM
#1
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Shopping Outlet Stores in Florence
Some busybody down the street mentioned these things and guess a trip out there is in my future - rats!
What's up with these places? Is my LW going to find any real bargains or just overpriced seconds or damaged goods?
How do you get out there?
What's up with these places? Is my LW going to find any real bargains or just overpriced seconds or damaged goods?
How do you get out there?
May 6th, 2006, 08:25 AM
#2
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http://www.tours-italy.com/florence/outlet_stores.htm
(the first Google ht from "Outlet stores in Florence"
Degas,
Make sure your DW's savings are greater than the costs of getting to the outlets and back!
(the first Google ht from "Outlet stores in Florence"
Degas,
Make sure your DW's savings are greater than the costs of getting to the outlets and back!
May 6th, 2006, 08:31 AM
#3
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I just dragged my husband to all of them in February! 
My opinion:
Gucci outlet is definitely worth a visit - good prices on last season's things.
Prada outlet is worth a visit - again, good prices
Dolce & Gabbana - Prices are not good, not worth a visit
Note that:
Dolce & Gabbana is in a separate location.
Prada outlet is combined with a couple other designers thrown in...I'm sorry I don't remember all the designer names...miu miu I think is one?
Gucci outlet is in an outlet mall. In fact the name of the outlet mall is "The Mall" There is pucci, ferragamo, armani, valentino, and others along with the gucci store.
Pratesi outlet is near Pistoia (where I live)...not many great deals in this small shop...very expensive. But beautiful things!
Happy Shopping!
My opinion:
Gucci outlet is definitely worth a visit - good prices on last season's things.
Prada outlet is worth a visit - again, good prices
Dolce & Gabbana - Prices are not good, not worth a visit
Note that:
Dolce & Gabbana is in a separate location.
Prada outlet is combined with a couple other designers thrown in...I'm sorry I don't remember all the designer names...miu miu I think is one?
Gucci outlet is in an outlet mall. In fact the name of the outlet mall is "The Mall" There is pucci, ferragamo, armani, valentino, and others along with the gucci store.
Pratesi outlet is near Pistoia (where I live)...not many great deals in this small shop...very expensive. But beautiful things!
Happy Shopping!
May 6th, 2006, 11:10 AM
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Hi degas, my Italian friends that live in Florence have told me that they do not consider the outlets to be worthwhile but will take me there if I want to go. They do not consider that there are any great bargins. But if your dear wife enjoys shopping, even if it is just "looking" it might be a fun thing to do..well for her, maybe not you that is! Have a wonderful time in beautiful Florence.
May 6th, 2006, 11:21 AM
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Yes, there are very expensive things there...like the 1000 euro things marked down to 600. BUT there are also more affordable things. Especially at the Gucci shop. I got a great purse (a quite large one) for 150 euro. And there were lots of nice purses in the 100-300 euro range. When I looked in the non-outlet shop, I saw Gucci purses similar to mine that were running about 700-800 euro. So there are definitely affordable deals to be had at Gucci!
Also, if your wife is into shoes, the prada and miu miu shoes were reasonably priced - lots that were under 100 euro.
Without a car, you are at the mercy of the tour buses, which we saw parked outside of all the outlets. Probably better though, as the outlets are not easy to find. My husband and I thought we had very clear directions but still had difficulty finding them.
Also, if your wife is into shoes, the prada and miu miu shoes were reasonably priced - lots that were under 100 euro.
Without a car, you are at the mercy of the tour buses, which we saw parked outside of all the outlets. Probably better though, as the outlets are not easy to find. My husband and I thought we had very clear directions but still had difficulty finding them.
May 7th, 2006, 04:20 PM
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I poste lengthily on this topic in March and if I knew how to give you the link to the thread I'd gladly do so.
Try searching "tedgale trip report: rome, venice, tuscany". I gave phone numbers and road directions, too.
I thought the deals were quite good at Prada, a little less good at The Mall (Gucci, Fendi, Ferragamo etc) -- though there are great deals for men at the latter, if you are an odd (large, small) size.
Cannot understand the complaints about 1000E merchandise marked down to 600E.
That's 400E off! My dear spouse and I figures we paid our airfare in full, with the bargains we got in a couple of hours (LOL).
Try searching "tedgale trip report: rome, venice, tuscany". I gave phone numbers and road directions, too.
I thought the deals were quite good at Prada, a little less good at The Mall (Gucci, Fendi, Ferragamo etc) -- though there are great deals for men at the latter, if you are an odd (large, small) size.
Cannot understand the complaints about 1000E merchandise marked down to 600E.
That's 400E off! My dear spouse and I figures we paid our airfare in full, with the bargains we got in a couple of hours (LOL).
May 7th, 2006, 06:04 PM
#11
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That's 400E off! My dear spouse and I figures we paid our airfare in full, with the bargains we got in a couple of hours (LOL).
That is one way of looking at it. Another is that you gain another trip by not buying it (600E) at all.
That is one way of looking at it. Another is that you gain another trip by not buying it (600E) at all.
May 8th, 2006, 04:53 AM
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Hmmm ! I dicovered a real bargain. I found the same Italian sweater with a different label that I had bought from the Norm Thompson catalog on sale for $69. There it was also on sale for only 219E. It is all a joke to me.
May 8th, 2006, 05:54 AM
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It's all about doing research in advance and knowing what you want (or your wife wants, for that matter). If your wife would not spend 1000E on a purse, but will buy one for 600E, then it's a good deal. I, too, found one at Gucci in April for 150E - here it would have been $500+ (of course, that's last year, but who knows when I bought it other than my friends and I). Shoes at Gucci were around 100E - here, $300+. As I would spend $300+ here on shoes, for me it was a bargain to get them for approximately $120. You just gotta determine whether it is worth it to you. Either you: 1) find nothing and just enjoy the trip; 2) find something that you (in the plural sense) would buy here at full price (or would have last year or a year or two before - I saw a pair of shoes for sale at the Gucci outlet that I got for Christmas in 2003) and can get there for less; or 3) find something you like, but would never buy here and just get it because you like it.
Other tidbits - the Fendi outlet had sunglasses for 40E, not a bad price. Tod's had some decent deals on shoes, but a questionable selection. D&G - I agree, not worth the trip as prices were high and not much of a bargain.
Other tidbits - the Fendi outlet had sunglasses for 40E, not a bad price. Tod's had some decent deals on shoes, but a questionable selection. D&G - I agree, not worth the trip as prices were high and not much of a bargain.
May 8th, 2006, 07:13 AM
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Overall, I've decided IF this outlet is ever in my path I'd stop for a look - but I wouldn't go out of my way.
I had a fodors GTG at my house yesterday and one friend brought her daughter who had just returned from a semester in Italy. She had a simply beautiful, dark green, buttery- soft leather purse she bought from a shop in San G. It was just about the softest purse I've ever seen and she spent significantly less than a Furla bag even.
THAT'S what I want to bring back.
I had a fodors GTG at my house yesterday and one friend brought her daughter who had just returned from a semester in Italy. She had a simply beautiful, dark green, buttery- soft leather purse she bought from a shop in San G. It was just about the softest purse I've ever seen and she spent significantly less than a Furla bag even.
THAT'S what I want to bring back.
May 10th, 2006, 03:48 AM
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When my dear spouse paid 450 E in March for an 1100 E Gucci sachel briefcase, my eyes still rolled -- but they didn't roll backward.
I wouldn't have paid it -- but having a contented travel partner is worth the price.
By contrast, I was appalled by the subsequent "surprise" purchase of a utilitarian item, to wit: a $15,000 mini-bulldozer -- "so useful for road-work" (60 minutes of road-grading once a year at our country place).
LESSON: Not all questionable purchases are luxury goods. And you can blow a LOT more on the "sensible" stuff than on a purse or a pair of shoes.
Don't sweat the small stuff!
I wouldn't have paid it -- but having a contented travel partner is worth the price.
By contrast, I was appalled by the subsequent "surprise" purchase of a utilitarian item, to wit: a $15,000 mini-bulldozer -- "so useful for road-work" (60 minutes of road-grading once a year at our country place).
LESSON: Not all questionable purchases are luxury goods. And you can blow a LOT more on the "sensible" stuff than on a purse or a pair of shoes.
Don't sweat the small stuff!
May 10th, 2006, 08:46 AM
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If you would normal buy designer items at home, the Mall is worth a look. I thought the Mall had great deals! I don't know if I would have bothered if we didn't have a car, and we got pretty lost going there but it was so worth it to me.
I got a Burberry coat ($400 in the US) for what equaled out to be 180 dollars US!! Over 50% off, and I wanted that particular coat for a long time. I also got a Gucci silk scarf, 45 Euro, (over 100 dollars retail) and sunglasses at D&G for about 55 dollars. Besides the sunglasses, not much else worth my time at D&G and lines were super long.
I got a Burberry coat ($400 in the US) for what equaled out to be 180 dollars US!! Over 50% off, and I wanted that particular coat for a long time. I also got a Gucci silk scarf, 45 Euro, (over 100 dollars retail) and sunglasses at D&G for about 55 dollars. Besides the sunglasses, not much else worth my time at D&G and lines were super long.
