The exact dates of the 2023 summer sales in Rome have not yet been announced. Usually the sales period starts around July 1st and continues until mid-August (just before the national holiday known as Ferragosto). Probably this is the shortest sales period of all of Italy’s regions, with several parts of northern Italy allowing shopkeepers to discount their merchandise up to the end of September.
Summer Sales Rome
General rules
The word bargain hunters in Rome need to look out for is saldi, Italian for “sales”.
In the past few years the summer sales were considered disappointing from the point of view of the shopkeepers, so with a bit of luck they might persuade themselves that even bigger discounts than usual are called for.
For those who have booked their vacation in Rome already, there are some rules that the buyer has to be aware of:
- Both the discounted and the original price, as well as the percentage taken off, need to be clearly indicated on the price tag.
- It is possible to change clothes that were bought during a sale. Many retailers claim that items purchased during the sales cannot be changed, but this is not true. Do remember therefore to keep your scontrino (the ticket you get, or are supposed to get, when you buy something in Italy), because without this you cannot change anything.
- Retailers that usually accept credit card payment also have to accept this during the sales period.