Over the summer, a friend who was traveling to Italy asked me for some guidance and suggestions. As I wrote him out a very long email, it occurred to me that these tips I shared with him are worth sharing more widely.
While I am a fan of supporting small businesses, I avoid any shopping in touristy areas in Italy. I prefer to shop as the locals do. My favorite places to go (and I get made fun of a lot for this) are supermarkets, local markets, and pharmacies.
Supermarkets:
I prefer supermarkets that are not in the city centers, and my favorite supermarket is COOP. With over 2,000 retail locations, you can probably find a COOP anywhere in Italy, but — really — any Italian supermarket is going to be a revelation for American consumers.
I’m a baker, so I stock up on the full line of Paneangeli baking products. Yes, you can buy many of them here — including on Amazon— but when you see the insane difference in price, you’ll stock up, too. For example, Lievito Paneangeli, sells for $9-$10 per box here. In Italy, it’s roughly two euros. I swear by the cream stabilizer Pannafix, priced at $15 for three envelopes here; there, the same amount costs about one euro. Lievito di Birra is another baking product I always bring back in bulk. If you are into baking, Italian supermarkets are paradise.
And you know what else you can buy in a regular Italian supermarket for half of what it costs in a touristy area or here at home? A Moka pot, be it Bialetti or another brand. You can even find replacement parts, which can be nearly impossible to find here.
And I haven’t even gotten to the housewares yet. The tablecloths sold in supermarkets-are far superior to expensive ones sold here. Here's a supermarket tablecloth that I brought back:
I think the most I spent was 13 euros. I even got myself this little cheese bowl for five euros:
At an Italian supermarket, of course, it goes without saying that the food and wine are amazing, but be sure to check the customs requirements for what is acceptable to bring back into the USA.
Local Markets:
Usually once or twice a week, a little market will come into town in the morning, where you can buy housewares, tablecloths, and even clothing. I bought these awesome little magnetic ties for my curtains for about two euros:
You can find purses and other clothing and houseware items, as well.
Houseware Stores:
Another favorite Italian retailer of mine for housewares is COIN. You can usually find them in the centro commerciale — the central shopping zone — and sometimes you can find a COIN located right near the supermarkets. Again, the housewares. This beautiful tablecloth came with a matching breadbasket:
And these adorable espresso cups:
Cotton bed sheets are also available.
Everything at COIN is very reasonably priced.
Italian Pharmacies:
Oh, the Italian pharmacies! While I understand that this is a current TikTok trend, I’ve been going to Italian pharmacies since I was a kid. Whereas American pharmacies are about medicine and illness, Italian ones are about benessere, or well-being. It’s a totally different vibe from any American chain pharmacy.
You’ll find the best creams, sunscreens, makeup, and all kinds of products there to promote your own health and beauty. I don’t even bring moisturizer, sunscreen, or much makeup with me; I buy it there and bring it home!
Some of the brands I love are Collistar (the Olio Rassodante Doccia is my favorite), which makes a great gift. Their bronzers and makeup are the best for those with an olive complexion. (Amazon also carries Collistar, though you'll likely pay more.)
I also love Derma Blend, a makeup brand that makes an amazing tinted makeup with SPF. If you are at all into beauty and well being, be sure to check out Italian pharmacies.
As I said before, I’m always a fan of supporting smaller businesses rather than chain stores, but I do believe that in Italy, avoiding the touristy areas and learning to shop how the locals do will lead you to some amazing buys.
