This Italian city has a lot to offer when it comes to shopping. There are various things that Florence is well known for including high fashion, furniture, home accessories and antiques. A majority of the shops in this city remain open from nine in the morning, close for lunch at 1pm and open later on at half past three in the afternoon until 8pm. The big shops are usually remains open throughout the day. The shops close earlier on Saturdays and some of them open on Sunday. Most of them remain closed on Monday morning but they stay open till late on Thursdays.
Many antique shops dot this city ranging from genuine ones to those which sell items reproduced in bronze or marble. Book lovers will enjoy shopping in Florence because it has a wide range of books that include guide books for visitors, books on Italian history in both Italian and a variety of other languages.
This city is a fashion capital and it is home to some of the most famous names when it comes to fashion. The design houses that are found here include Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace, Emilio Pucci, Armani, Valentino, and Via della igna Nuova. Some of these shops have factory stores near the city where you can get the designer items at almost half the price you would get them for in the shops. Florence has a Prada shop and they offer great prices but you have to get them there in the morning since they do not restock the items and the queues are usually very long.
Florence is also famous for its leather goods and has hundreds of market stalls and shops where you can buy shoes, handbags, belts, coats and gloves from. The craftsmanship that is applied in making these goods is very high and you can visit either Gucci or Ferragamo which are found at the Via de’ Tornabuoni to get the best items. At the Via del Sole, you will find the Cellerini which is famous for its gloves and handbags made from lizard skin.
The Ponte Vecchio in Florence has been making jewelry for more than 400 years. This area has various shops that sell very high quality jewelry pieces. Some of the shops that you can buy from include Puccini, Minnelli and Melli. Gold is extensively used in the pieces that are available in Florence mainly because of the legendary goldsmiths in the area.