Outlet shopping usually means a car park off a motorway. The Mall Firenze and The Mall Sanremo, both part of The Mall Simon Luxury Outlets group, take a different approach: park the boutiques somewhere you'd happily visit anyway, then treat the whole thing like a resort rather than a retail errand.
The Firenze location sits in the hills outside Florence, proper Tuscan countryside with the scenery to match. Sanremo, on the Ligurian coast, faces the Mediterranean, and its sculptural building is apparently designed to echo the waves next door. The brand line-up at both is serious: Bottega Veneta, Loro Piana, Dolce&Gabbana, Armani and Zegna, with a strong emphasis on Italian craftsmanship.
What makes these two worth a detour rather than just a stop is the programming around the shops. At Firenze you can book a 90-minute tasting pairing Tuscan cigars with artisan spirits, take a pasta and pesto making class, try a tiramisu workshop, or do a guided tasting of three local wines matched with cured meats and cheeses. Over in Sanremo the calendar leans coastal: a sushi masterclass, a champagne-and-oysters tasting, and even cooking classes aimed at children. If none of that appeals, the Welcome Lounge team will point you towards activities nearby, including painting classes with professional artists who'll help you capture the view.
There's also a members' tier called The Mall Club. It gets you a concierge on arrival who can book boutique appointments and suggest local outings, someone to carry your purchases around for the day so you're not lugging shopping bags between classes, line-skipping privileges, and access to a private lounge inside the Poltrona Frau showroom — so you can rest on high-end Italian furniture between purchases.
For travellers, the appeal is obvious: these work as a half-day or full-day escape from Florence or the Riviera, combining discount-adjacent luxury shopping with food and wine experiences you'd otherwise book separately. If you're travelling with a mixed group — one person wanting to shop, another wanting a cooking class and a view — the format solves that argument. Note the piece is partner content from the brand itself, so treat the superlatives accordingly, but the practical details (locations, experiences, services) are the useful part. Anyone planning a fashion-focused Italy trip with stops in Florence and the Ligurian coast could reasonably build a day around either site, then spend the savings on a very good lunch.
