Via MonteNapoleone crowned most expensive shopping street
MILAN
Shoppers laden with bags from Fendi, Loewe, Prada and other designer labels clog the narrow sidewalks of Milan’s swankiest shopping street, bringing joy to the purveyors of high-end luxury goods this, and every, holiday season.
There’s even more to celebrate this year: a commercial real estate company has crowned Via MonteNapoleone as the world’s most expensive retail destination, displacing New York’s Fifth Avenue.
The latest version of Cushman & Wakefield’s annual global index, which ranks shopping areas based on the rent prices they command, is a sign of Via MonteNapoleone’s desirability as an address for luxury ready-to-wear, jewelry and even pastry brands.
The average rent on the Milan street has surged to 20,000 euros per square meter ($2,047 per square foot), compared with 19,537 euros per square meter ($2,000 per square foot) on an 11-block stretch of upper Fifth Avenue.
Via MonteNapoleone’s small size — just 350 metres long — and walking distance to services and top cultural sites are among the street's key advantages, according to Guglielmo Miani, president of the MonteNapoleone District association.
The biggest brands on the street make 50 million euros to 100 million euros in annual sales, Miani said.
Tiffany & Co. is preparing to take up residence on Via Montenapoleone, and long-time tenant Fendi is expanding.
The MonteNapoleone District says 11 million people visited the area this year through November, but there's no way to say how many were big spenders vs. window shoppers.
The average shopper on Via MonteNapoleone spent 2,500 euros per purchase between August and November — the highest average receipt in the world, according to the tax-free shopping firm Global Blue.
