There is plenty of La Spezia shopping as the city is right on an important commercial harbor as well as being a base for the Italian military. This spot is a chief naval station with many military industries built up to support the station. Tourism has just begun to take off but there is still plenty to see and do, including the shopping.

Foreign supermarkets are different from those in the U.S. Take your time to wander up and down the aisles and pick up a few unusual products. Grab a bottle of wine and some cheese from the area. Supermarkets have affordable options to the artisan goods available at specialty shops. One of the main supermarkets in La Spezia is Ipercoop. They stock food, clothing, electrical appliances, and much more.

Le Terrazze is a new shopping mall being constructed in La Spezia. It is scheduled to open in 2011 and some of the shops already booked into space include Deichmann, Play Park, Euronics, Ipercoop, den Store, Cisalfa, Sasch, Scarpamondo, and Tonic. This is the largest shopping area in the entire Spezia region. There are 107 stores and the mall can hold up to 210,000 shoppers. Once completed it will be the most unique and modern of its kind along the coast of Tuscany and the Levante Riviera.

Tuscany was once the fashion seat of Italy before it moved to Milan. No matter where you are, you will find fashion. There are many factory outlets and you will find many that you have never seen. Stop into Incisa Spacchi and MonteVarchi. Some of the better known fashion labels include Prada, Bottega Veneto, Armani, and Gucci. La Spezia has its share of these famous fashion houses and makes for some memorable shopping.

You should not miss out on some of the local delicacies. Since you are right on the water, make sure to eat some fish or seafood. If you are looking to purchase some wine then the local varieties are Sciacchetra and Cinque Terra. Sciacchetra is a dessert wine and Cinque Terre is a dry white wine.

There are several markets in La Spezia and this can be a great way to find excellent products at unbeatable prices. If you are looking for food items and agricultural produce then stop in at Castelnuovo Magra on Wednesdays. You can find crafts and house wares at the Bonassola on Thursdays. The Borghetto di Vara has a general market on Fridays. On the first Sundays of the month you can stop in at the antique and collectors market. This occurs every month except for August.