Practical tips for shopping in Rimini
Rimini is a very famous seaside resort with the opportunity to do some pretty cheap shopping. Expensive and most famous brands can be found in the city center: the main square and the nearby streets.
Where is the best place to buy clothes in Rimini?
The best place to buy clothes is in the large shopping center called “Le beffane”. There are more than 130 stores of different brands. To get there you can take buses 20, 8 or 9 and you can get on them near the train station of Rimini. If you want to get there by car, set your navigation device to the address: via Caduti di Nassiriya, 20, Rimini.
Opening hours: all days from 9 am to 9 pm.
In addition, many things you can buy in the city center or in the stores located on the waterfront. Walking along it every evening in a crowd with other tourists you are sure to like something of what is offered in the stalls.
How much money should I take when I go shopping in Rimini?
Decide on the quantities of certain things and try to calculate the total cost. Here are approximate prices for clothing in 2022:
T-shirts from 10 euros. Shoes from 30 euros to 100 euros. Shirts from 25 euros. Women’s handbags from 30 euros. Good fur coats from 600 euro.
Remember! From the first Saturday in July until the end of August in Rimini there are great discounts on all clothing. This is the perfect time for shopping, especially if you hit the first days of this sale, when all sizes and all the most beautiful things are still on sale.
Summer discounts in Rimini (seasonal sale) in 2022: July 2, 2022 – August 28, 2022. Summer discounts in Rimini (seasonal sale) in 2023: July 1, 2023 – August 27, 2023.
What is TAX FREE?
In recent years shopping during holidays abroad has become very popular, but most people do not even realize that nowadays it is possible to save a lot on purchases by reimbursing VAT (only for non-EU citizens). Such a system is called “tax free” and has been used for a very long time in the EU and some other European countries.
In fact, “tax free” is a system that allows citizens of other states to return the VAT on purchases at the end of stay in the country where these purchases were made.
The amount of tax refundable directly depends on the amount of VAT in the country and varies in the region of 7-20%. The minimum purchase amount on which a tax refund is granted also varies from country to country. In Italy it is 155 euro (tax 13-22%), in other countries: Spain 91 euro (16% tax), Germany 25 euro (10% tax). In some countries the amount of “tax free” may vary depending on the group of goods.
If you are planning a holiday in Rimini, according to Italian law, to get a tax free refund you have to make purchases of more than 155 euros in stores that have a tax free system. During your trip, you need to keep in mind that you can’t just buy a product in any store or supermarket and claim a VAT refund on it. The store in which you will be shopping, be sure to cooperate with the system “tax free. Next, you need to follow a number of specific steps: 1. When you make a purchase, ask for a “tax free” receipt. This receipt must indicate your information (name and surname), the list of purchases, their amount and the amount of VAT, which must be returned to you. 2. To do this until you passport control you need to provide checks “tax free”, on which the customs officer will put a special stamp; 4. Note also that your tax amount will be deducted from the commission of the company engaged in its return.
Shopping in Rimini
Shopping during the holidays is not only enjoyable, but also useful. And Rimini is the best city for combining a great time on the coast, visiting historical sites and effective shopping. And when you also know the best places to buy what you want, you’ll spend your time doing the most good and getting a lot of satisfaction out of it.
What to buy?
So, being in Rimini, which, incidentally, is home to the famous filmmaker Federico Fellini, what kind of goods is better to choose? If you are lucky enough to be in this wonderful city during the discount period, you will be happy to know that topical clothes, high-quality shoes, elegant underwear and all sorts of accessories are much less expensive than in the Russian outlets. The crystal, jewelry, antiques and household goods brought from Rimini are highly valued. Special attention should be paid to excellent food products – grappa, olive oil, “Parmesan”, “Parma” ham, Italian wines. Everything you buy in Italy will amaze you with its impeccable properties and adequate price – in Russia the same things cost much more.
Where to buy?
When you’re going to buy a closet, go to the outskirts of the city. There are quite a few factory outlets and warehouses around Rimini. You can easily find a guide who will show you their location for free. The factories pay for their services, and this does not affect the cost of the products.
In the city itself, on the squares of Tre Martiri and Cavour, the most popular and prestigious boutiques of the most prestigious brands Max Mara, Dolce and Gabbana, Versace and others are located. Experienced visitors to such places say that the range of products here is fully consistent with Milan. In addition, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8:00 to 13:00 Cavour Square is a large-scale spontaneous market that offers a good selection of goods at affordable prices. And on nearby Corso D’Augusta you’ll find the most famous Italian hypermarkets, Standa and Coin.
On Rimini’s seafront you can get to the Boulevard of Queen Helena, which is several kilometers long. Here you can find stores with budget prices. It takes only a few days to get around all the shops on this street. Especially since on your way you will meet a giant Le Befane shopping center, which has 130 stores to satisfy all needs and capabilities.
While in Rimini, you don’t have to shop only within Rimini. You can also visit the nearby town of Riccione, which you can reach in just 10 minutes by bus. Riccione also has a good number of fashionable stores which are mainly concentrated in Via Cessarini. The world famous shopping center of Milan is 330 km from Rimini. The distance is not so far for the true connoisseurs of fashion.
Another dream of shopaholics can be found closer – it is the Republic of San Marino, the distance from Rimini to which is 20 kilometers. The territory of the republic is an offshore zone, so here you will spend the least on alcoholic beverages. And you’ll notice the beauty of the bottles of spirits. Just look at the liquor named after the republic, which is sold in a bottle in the form of an amphora, a unique design for the country. And here, in a land of sun and rocks, you will be offered an exquisite range of perfumes, haberdashery and accessories. Both in San Marino and on the road connecting the Republic and Rimini you will find a large number of outlet centers and large-scale shopping complexes.
Stores, outlets and shopping centers in Rimini with photos, maps and contact details can be found here.
Opening hours
Going shopping in Rimini, pay attention to the opening hours of local stores: they usually start their work at 8-9 am. From 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. there is a break and then they work until 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon and Monday morning are the obligatory days off for all kinds of stores, with the exception of supermarkets and shopping malls. On the eve of the holidays, hypermarkets are also open on Sundays. Small shops may close as early as Saturday afternoon. In the big Italian stores the opening hours in winter and summer time are different. In the 2nd and 3rd week of August in Italy are vacations – Ferragosto. At this time closed not only all factories and organizations, but also outlet centers, and small retail outlets – even more so.
Rimini stores, among other things, are not open during the festivities celebrated nationwide:
- 01.01. – New Year’s Eve
- 06.01 – Epiphany
- 25.04. – Anniversary of the Liberation of Italy from Fascism
- 01.05 – International Labor Day
- 02.06 – Day of the Proclamation of the Republic
- 15.08 – Assumption of the Virgin Mary
- 01.11. – All Saints Day
- 08.12. – Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
- 24-25.12. – Nativity of Christ
Also on Easter Sunday and the day after Easter.
Sales in Rimini 2022
Sconti or Saldi (sales) in Rimini are usually held in winter. The dates for the winter sale in 2022 are from 5 January to 5 March; the summer sale is from 2 July to 1 September.
Discounts on such sales range from 15 to 70 percent. Mainly, their value depends on how well-known the brand of the goods is and where the outlet is located. In the fashion boutiques of famous couturiers, located in central, prestigious areas, significant discounts have almost no place. As soon as the price goes down, the goods are bought up by local fashionistas, who closely monitor the discounts. As for information about the sale, it’s not customary to announce the discount in upscale stores, so passing by the trendy windows you won’t see the sign “Sconti”.
But in boutiques of not so famous firms, which are located away from the main avenues of trade, you can with great success buy goods at the lowest price. Here, products are sold out until they run out of stock. Usually the sale is announced for a period of up to two months, but the most successful purchases can be made in the first couple of weeks.
The size of the discounts can be judged by the appearance of the store. If the shop is completely glued to the windows, it means that here they arrange a complete elimination of goods with discounts of at least 60-80 percent. But in such outlets itself you will see an incredible number of those wishing to buy cheap goods, so you should be prepared for a considerable queue and the police close to the store.
Buying any thing in the store in Italy, you must take into account that there is no haggling. But in the small shops to ask the owner to lower the price is quite appropriate. As for the shopping centers of impressive size, there the goods have a clearly set price. However, a discount is possible in case of any damage or defect, such as a thread or a loose button. If you buy something in an expensive boutique, there to talk about discounts is considered improper.
In Italy, information on planned fashion sales can be obtained from the press. Every year the numbers move a little bit, but the discount periods never go beyond from 05.01. to 31.03.
VAT Refunds
Purchases of various goods in Rimini you will also appreciate thanks to the fact that a certain percentage of the purchase payment is refundable. VAT (value added tax), which is included in the price of products, is 20 percent. Visitors from non-EU member states can get back an amount equal to the VAT when leaving Rimini. The value added tax is paid back without administrative tax, so that the amount obtained is slightly less than 20 percent – 14.5 percent. When leaving the European Union, after getting a stamp in the Tax-free receipt at customs, go to the Tax-free Shopping – these offices should be located at the airport, train station and on busy highways. You’ll get a tax refund upon presentation of what you bought in an undamaged package, a receipt for the purchase and a VAT refund check, which is written in the store with a foreigner’s passport, if his purchase was worth at least 154.94 €. The tax is refunded up to a maximum of €3,000.
As for Rimini, here you can get a tax refund at the Fellini Airport, also called Miramare, in the Duty Free.
For more information on VAT refunds, visit www.premiertaxfree.com.
Shopping rules and etiquette
When you open the door of a store or boutique in Rimini, you are supposed to say hello. If you arrive before noon, you can say “buongiorno” and in the afternoon “buona sera”. Saying “ciao” (hello), on the other hand, is not a good idea as you will give a cheeky impression. The store staff offer each visitor their own advice. If this is unnecessary for you, you can say “grazie, vorrei dare un’occhiata”, that is, “thank you, I just want to have a look”. If you are thanking a salesman for a tip, you should say “molto gentile”, “You are very kind”, or simply “grazie”, “thank you”. When you leave, be sure to say goodbye by saying “arrivederci”. If the employee wishes you “buona giornata,” you should say “altrettanto” – “the same to you.
In the last few decades in Italy there has been a considerable number of outlet centers, whose activities have led to a significant commercial development of the country. A non-traditional type of sales of things that were in fashion in previous seasons and remained unsold in stores, contributed to the formation of a new type of Italian market. More and more Italian families prefer to spend their weekends not on the beach or the glade of the forest, but in outlet centers. Shopping has become not a household obligation, but a fun leisure activity for the whole family. And this passion is also adopted by visitors from other countries. Currently, more and more travel agencies are trying to include in the choice of trips not only the classic sightseeing tours, but also special shopping tours, which are gaining popularity among Russians and Japanese.
To Italian shopping does not disappoint you and was as effective as possible, the local consumer society advises to pay attention to the following points:
- Take the receipt with the purchase. The special regulation 24/2002 of the Italian law states that the seller will have to replace faulty merchandise within a period of at least two months from the date when the fault was discovered.
- Buying an item at a discounted price during seasonal discounts, make sure that it really belongs to the collection of the current season, is not out of fashion and meets the weather requirements. However, this rule does not apply in outlet centers and spatchas. In the case where an item is discounted by half, it most likely belongs to past seasons.
- However, if you want to buy discounted products that you see in a store window, make sure that something you are being sold is actually the same as the one in the window.
- Pay attention to the price tag of the things: it should say the old price and the new price and the discount percentage, and all the inscriptions should be easy to understand.
- If you only tried the thing on, it does not obligate you to buy it. Making a purchase, check whether the sizes on the label match the product itself.
- Underpriced items should be separated from those sold at full price, and not mixed together.
- Where bank cards are valid in the store, they must also be accepted to pay for discounted purchases.
- If you have been cheated in a store or if you have been subjected to sales violations, you should notify the Consumer Protection Society, the city government or the local police.
Italian consumer protection societies:
ADOC https://www.adocnazionale.it Telephone in Rome: 06/45420928 Telephone in Milan: 02/66980190
La Federconsumatori www.federconsumatori.it Telephone in Rome: 06/47823341
Rimini shopping videos
Shopping centers and stores on a map of Rimini
The map shows shopping centers and stores of Rimini. Hotels near shopping centers are also shown for convenience. Zoom in on the map to see the facilities of the area you want.
