Shopping
High-street shops in Bari are mainly small and sell a variety of mid-market brands, while haute-couture and designer brands tend to have their own outlets There’s also a good variety of handmade products on sale.

Some helpful advise when shopping - Greet the shop owner or assistant when entering and leaving a shop. The standard greeting is ‘Buongiorno’ or ‘Buonasera’ according to time of day. - Barganing is occasionally acceptable in outdoor markets. - Always check your change, ‘mistakes’ are often made, especially with foreign customers. The added excuse of the new currency makes these ‘mistakes’ more justifiable! - Don’t expect to be able to use your credit card everywhere. Many shops, even large chain stores or supermarkets, accept debit cards (called ‘Bancomat’), but not credit cards. Many smaller shops do not accept them either, and often refuse to even to accept a cheque...cash only! - Be aware of pick-pockets in all crowded areas. MARKETS Markets in Bari offer a wide variety of products, one just has to know where to go and when. Food markets are located in various aresa of the city, usually open every day except Sundays. Markets selling other goods are held weekly and and only open in the morning, between 8:00 and 13:00. Open directory

MAIN SHOPPING STREETS
Via Sparano
The heart of Bari is Via Sparano, a pedestrian street 800 m long with elegant shops selling furs, jewells, leather clothing, footwear, perfumes, evening dresses, books, underwear, gifts, etc. The most important building of Via Sparano is the Palazzo Mincuzzi, now hosting a Sisley megastore. Via Principe Amedeo mid-crosses Via Sparano, continuing the high fashion list of shops, all the way to Corso Cavour.

Corso Cavour
Starting by the side of P.zza Moro (Central Station), all the way down towards the old town, intersecting Via Principe Amedeo, Corso Cavour offers a cheaper version of Via Sparano’s shops. Like Via Sparano, shoes, clothing, accessories and a lot more but at a more affordable price. There’s also a little covered market (near Hotel Oriente) offering the same goods and open everyday (same opening hours as the shops). A few more shops can be found along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, intersecting Corso Cavour at the end (near the old town).

Via Manzoni
Via Manzoni offers a good variety of small shops with affordable prices. Clothes, shoes, silver and accessories can be found in the little shops of this street, parallel to Via Sparano, further North. The street can be easily reached from the bottom of Via Sparano (along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II all the way up to and across P.zza Garibaldi).

Small shops with handicrafts products can be found scattered around Bari, still to be discovered by tourists. Keep your eyes well open when driving around, there’s always some little outlet to discover around the corner…

SHOPPING CENTRES AND DEPARTMENT STORES
The best way to find many brands under one roof is to visit big shopping centres (“ipermercati”) such as Auchan – Casamassima, La Mongolfiera – Str. Santa Caterina, Carrefour – Viale Pasteur). The only Department Stores in center of Bari are:

LA RINASCENTE
Via Piccinni Nicolò 48
Tel. 080 5213736

COIN
Via Melo da Bari 116
Tel. 080 5289272

Most clothing stores are closed Monday mornings and open 16:00 -19:30 Monday evenings. They enjoy a long afternoon lunch and from Tuesday to Saturday they open between 09:00 and 13:00 and 16:00 - 19:30. Some shops also open on Sundays. This is especially true during festive seasons.