In our area Siesta is practiced by most shops except Coop. The shops open at 8:00 and the siesta starts at 12:30 / 13:00 and lasts until 16:00. Large chain stores open at 15:00. Regular shops close 7pm. The CooP is open all day from 08:00 – 20:00 and 08:30 – 13:00 on Sundays
Light shopping
When it comes to groceries, we have several alternatives. There is a smaller grocery in Fiano but they have an incredible amount of delicious and good vegetables. They have fresh bread and croissants etc. and have a small coffee shop there locals and tourists like to take an espresso. There you go in 25-30 min. Another option is to make your way down through the wine fields to an old small shop that also has the main items and fresh bread. The lady who runs it comes down if you are a little outside business hours, and she is present. The best restaurant in the immediate area is close by. After going through the wine fields and coming out on the main road, the restaurant is 100 to the left, while the shop is 150 m down to the right. That trip takes approx. 20 min down, and a little extra back 🙂
Larger volumes
For slightly larger needs we normally use CooP in Tavarnelle which is 8 km away. You’ll also find a somewhat larger CooP in Certaldo – maybe a little cheaper too – but it’s a little further away – 12 km.
In the Tavarnelle square you will find a great vegetable shop next to CafĂ© d’Italia. Beyond the Vegetable Merchant is a Restaurant and then comes the Butcher. It is these three who have started the incredibly popular barbecue evening in the square every Tuesday that is better described on the Activity pages. There is also a baker in the square. Please note that most of the Tuscan bread is without salt, so you may possibly ask for “pane con sale” – also at the coop
Banking
There are ATMs in most small towns and for us there is one in the square in Fiano and one in Marcialla which is on the road towards Tavarnelle – as you come out of the narrow alley into Marcialla you get the church and the square to the left, and the ATM right in the house wall on the left. There is also a bank (Banca Carige) in the Tavarnelle square and one just off the main street (Bank Monte dei Paschi) both have ATMs, although there is a € 200 withdrawal limit in most ATMs.
The market
Every Thursday there is a market day in Tavarnelle’s square, open from 8:00 – 13:00. Down past the bank to the right there is a very good cheese merchant and the vacuum packages in appropriate pieces on request. A little beyond the cheese shop you can also get good seafood.
Shopping and Outlets
In Tavarnelle there is a pretty good clothing store for both sexes from 16+. Very good prices during the summer holidays. Otherwise, the ladies can make some good finds in two / three shops on the way out of the square and 20-40 meters obliquely right (towards the direction of travel). Otherwise, there are …
Brands Outlet Barberino Morandi F.lli S.n.c – 20 min
+39 055 807 5117 Via Cassia, 35, 50021 Barberino Val D’elsa (FI)
This is a very ok shop with good quality and often good deals. 66% / 34% mix for women and men. They are closed Mondays until 3:30 pm. From La Citerna you drive to Tavarnelle and follow the signs to Barberino, which in addition to a good clothing store houses one of Italy’s oldest medieval fortress from the early 1100s. They also have a couple of nice lunch places. When you pass the small gas station on the left – then the nicest lunch spot is just on top of the wall to the right – the shop is on the left at the end of the row of car parking spaces. Try to find a parking space there and walk the last few meters.
San Filippo Shoe Outlet – 25 min
Via San Filippo 37, 50021 Barberino Val d’Elsa (FI)
Good shoe outlet with well-known leisure brands, and good Italian brands, for everyone in the family. Continue on through Barberino from the clothing store mentioned above and continue approx. 2 km in the direction of Poggibonsi. After some turns you get a small sign to San Filippo on the right that almost goes all the way back. Take in there and after 50m you get the sale up to the right. There is also a small design shop that often has some nice things – and sometimes has good deals. Whatever the shoe shop makes up the rest of the building! Note! They do not open until 15:30 – 18:00 on Mondays.
Designer Outlet – Florence South-East
Just outside of Florence, many of the largest designer houses have set up at least 2 shopping centers with major price reductions. One is called The Mall to be located in Leccio, the other is a little further out in Lavanella. For both, take the Superstrada back towards Florence to the Impruneta exit and enter A1 Milan-Roma in the direction of Roma.
The Mall – 55min
Via Europa, 8, 50066 Leccio Reggello FI
For The Mall You get off at Incisa and make for Leccio. The designers include Gucci, La Perla, Tods, Bottega Veneta, Zegna, Armani, Sergio Rossi etc. Fendi is also in the neighbourhood, but their store is just before you get to the Mall.
Levanella outlets – 65min
LocalitĂ Levanella, 52025 Montevarchi (AR)
Levanella is a little further past the Incisa exit. You get off the A1 at Vald’Arno make for Montarchi. Take the ss69 in Montarchi in the direction of Arezzo. The Space in Levanella is in an industrial estate. The designers here are Prada, Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, Miu Miu etc.
These places are a little hard to find but a little look at GoogleMap or the car navigator along the way solves most. So they are not much more than 55-65 min away. The prices there are said to be significantly below the Florence / Rome prices, which in turn is said to be 20% below the Paris and London prices. We have been there and it was good price deductions – but we do not know Rome and London prices …